Cessna 172 accident near Aguilares, Texas, January 20, 2019
On January 20, 2019 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1985 Cessna 172, registered N99308, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Aguilares, Texas. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2019 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Aguilares, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 P, built 1985 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N99308 · no longer on the register · serial 17276431
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that she departed on the aerial observation flight with about 40 gallons of fuel on board. The airplane flew for about 4 hours 24 minutes and was at an altitude of about 5,300 ft mean sea level when it started to shake, and the engine rpm dropped to about 900. The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, she would select either the left or right fuel tank to equalize the fuel in the tanks. After the engine lost power, the pilot switched the fuel selector valve to both and attempted to restore engine power without success. The pilot prepared for a forced landing to a gravel road. During the forced landing, the airplane bounced and veered off the road and into a field; the wings and fuselage were substantially damaged when the airplane nosed over. The first responders reported that, immediately after the accident, fuel was leaking from the right fuel tank but not the left fuel tank. After the airplane was righted, the left fuel tank was found empty, and 4 gallons of fuel were recovered from the right fuel tank. It is unknown how much fuel leaked out while the airplane was inverted. A review of the pilot's operating handbook for the airplane make and model noted that the fuel tanks have a total capacity of 43 gallons of fuel (3 gallons of unusable fuel) and that, when properly configured, fuel consumption would be between 6.4 and 7.3 gallons per hour. The pilot reported that based on experience, she could get 5.5 hours of flight on full fuel tanks. An engine test run and an examination of the airframe and related systems did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations. Because fuel was recovered from the right fuel tank and not from the left and a successful engine test run was conducted, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation.
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
- Fuel related during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 611.4 hours in all; 378.1 in this make and model; 238.1 in the last 90 days; 81 in the last 30 days; 531.5 as pilot in command; 4.6 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 17, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,201 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 1,763 hours total
- Operator: Skylens Llc
The flight
- Departed from: KLRD Laredo TX at 3:06 pm
- Destination: KLRD Laredo TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 7:30 pm from KHBV, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on November 22, 2019. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Records of Conversation - FAA Inspectors | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Data Monitor Data Plot - CEN19LA063 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | CEN19LA063 - Accident Flight Data | data file | Download |
| 6 | Cessna 172 P POH Excerpt | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
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.