Cessna 172M accident near Terrell, Texas, April 11, 2023
On April 11, 2023 at about 9:12 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 172M, registered N1221U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Terrell, Texas (Terrell Municipal Airport). 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial response.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2023 · about 9:12 pm local time
- Place
- Terrell, Texas · Terrell Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M, built 1976 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N1221U · registry record · serial 17266918
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was landing the airplane with a left crosswind. On touchdown, the airplane bounced, pitched up, and drifted toward the right side of the runway. The flight instructor told the student pilot to go around and then attempted to take control of the airplane. The airplane touched down in the grass, nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage, vertical stabilizer and rudder, and right wing strut. At the time of the accident, the airplane was landing on runway 18 with wind 100o at 7 knots.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 26.9 hours in all; 17.4 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 719 hours in all; 523.3 in this make and model
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Runway 18, 5,006 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KTRL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 29, 2023. 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 | Instructor Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Student Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Information | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photographs | PDF, 3 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.