Cessna 172 - H accident near Circleville, Texas, March 24, 2015
On March 24, 2015 at about 9:05 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 172 - H, registered N8282L, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Circleville, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the engine to regain normal power after a simulated engine failure due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a forced landing on muddy terrain and a subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2015 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Circleville, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 - H, built 1967 · all 172 - Hs on the register
- Registration
- N8282L · no longer on the register · serial 17256482
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was conducting an instructional flight with a student pilot. The student reported that the preflight engine run-up was normal and that, before takeoff for the flight, there was a small wait because they were the fourth airplane in line for takeoff. At takeoff, the engine power was not normal, but leaning the mixture returned the engine performance to normal. After performing several flight maneuvers at 4,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the flight instructor simulated an engine failure by applying carburetor heat and retarding the throttle to idle. After descending the airplane to 2,500 ft msl, the flight instructor attempted to clear the engine and pushed the throttle control to full power, but the engine power was not restored. Subsequent attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful, and the student then transferred the flight controls to the flight instructor, who then conducted a forced landing to muddy terrain, which resulted in the airplane nosing over. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conductive to moderate carburetor icing at cruise power and serious carburetor icing at descent power. Given the delayed takeoff, during which the engine would have been at an idle power setting, and that the mixture needed to be leaned at higher engine power to return to normal, it is likely that carburetor icing had accumulated. Although the flight instructor applied carburetor heat for the simulated engine failure to prevent carburetor icing, there would have been reduced heat output by the engine at the idle power setting, which would not have been effective in preventing carburetor icing.
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
- Simulated/training event during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute (descent)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Contributed to outcome
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,019 hours in all; 590 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 5,973 as pilot in command; 3,933 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 19, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 131 hours in all; 109 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,541.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 7,164 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUS Austin TX at 8:30 pm
- Destination: AUS Austin TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from EDC, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.