Cessna 140 accident near Llano, Texas, February 6, 2025
On February 6, 2025 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1946 Cessna 140, registered N73081, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Llano, Texas (Llano Muni 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, that resulted in a ground loop, and a susbquent runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 2025 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Llano, Texas · Llano Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140, built 1946 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N73081 · registry record · serial 10297
- 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 demonstrating a landing to the pilot who was receiving instruction. At the time of the landing, the flight instructor reported the wind condition was “variable and gusty.” During the landing roll on the dry asphalt runway, he lost directional control, a ground loop occurred, and the airplane departed the runway to the right. The airplane came to rest inverted on a grass field near the runway, and the two occupants were able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, the right wing strut, and the empennage. The flight instructor reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor, who had a total of 20 hours tailwheel flight time (with 9 hours performing tailwheel flight instruction), further reported that the accident could have been prevented by obtaining more experience from a “more qualified” flight instructor before instructing in “variable and gusty” wind conditions.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Evacuation during post (impact)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
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: 652 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 190 in the last 90 days; 78 in the last 30 days; 559 as pilot in command; 260 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 21, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 315 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 242 as pilot in command; 22 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 8, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,085.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 3, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C85-12 (piston); 207 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17/3, 4,202 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KAQO
Weather report (METAR): KAQO 062055Z AUTO 18008KT 10SM CLR 30/16 A2993 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN25LA092.