Cessna 172S accident near Waco, Texas, August 7, 2023
On August 7, 2023 at about 3:15 am local time, a 2008 Cessna 172S, registered N6319G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Waco, Texas (Waco Rgnl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The solo student pilot’s improper descent path which resulted in a hard landing on the nose wheel and subsequent bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2023 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Waco, Texas · Waco Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 2008 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N6319G · no longer on the register · serial 172S10781
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported he was anxious on the flight controls in preparation for night landing. During the approach, he felt the airplane was higher above the runway than his actual altitude, and he descended the airplane in a nose low attitude which caused a hard landing on the nose wheel. The student pilot then pulled back on the control yoke, and subsequently the airplane porpoised and settled on to the runway surface. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The student pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Visual illusion/disorientation › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 211 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 155 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,270 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 21, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 3,722 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HYI San Marcos TX at 1:30 am
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 7,107 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from KACT
Weather report (METAR): KACT 070351Z 14009KT 10SM CLR 33/17 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP119 T03330172
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 28, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photograph | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N6319G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.