Cessna 172M accident near Odessa, Texas, December 22, 2014
On December 22, 2014 at about 2:52 pm local time, a 1974 Cessna 172M, registered N9922V, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Odessa, Texas. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at an excessive bank angle at a low altitude, which resulted in an accelerated stall and spin with insufficient altitude for a recovery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 2014 · about 2:52 pm local time
- Place
- Odessa, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M, built 1974 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9922V · no longer on the register · serial 17264557
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying an aerial survey flight to look for oil and water pipeline leaks. Three witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying about 400 to 500 ft above ground level, enter a steep left bank, and then dive nose down toward the ground. One witness estimated that the airplane's bank angle was about 80 degrees. Shortly after, witnesses observed smoke and flames coming from the accident site. A witness at the accident site reported that the airplane was engulfed in flames with the airplane's tail in a vertical position and the wings flat on the ground. The leading edge crush angle was consistent with about a 30- to 40-degree nose-down, left-wing-low attitude. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Three days after the accident, another pilot overflew the accident area and observed a large water leak about 0.3 mile from the accident location. An oilfield worker who provided spill remediation estimated that the water would had to have been leaking for a few days for the leak to get so large. It is likely that the pilot observed the water leak during the accident flight and used an excessive bank angle to maneuver the airplane so that he could more closely observe the leak and that the airplane then experienced an accelerated stall with insufficient altitude for a recovery.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 23, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,694 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 29, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: American Patrols INC
The flight
- Departed from: 7T7 Odessa TX at 2:00 pm
- Destination: 7T7 Odessa TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from ODO, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
18 documents, released by the NTSB on January 22, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.