Amateur-built RV-7A accident near Gordonville, Texas, December 17, 2004
On December 17, 2004 at about 6:05 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-7A, registered N207TP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gordonville, Texas (Cedar Mills Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged flare. Contributing factors were the uphill slope of the runway and the soft condition of the landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 2004 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Gordonville, Texas · Cedar Mills Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-7A
- Registration
- N207TP · registry record · serial 70848
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 13,000-hour commercial pilot reported that during his landing flare onto an uphill-sloped grass landing strip, he felt that the airplane was lower than it actually was. The airplane impacted the ground "hard," and the nose gear dug into the "soft ground." The propeller then struck the ground, and the propeller blades "flew off" as the airplane nosed-over and came to rest inverted.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 22, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 71 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2004; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru 2.57 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DTO Denton TX
- Destination: 3T0 Gordonville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from GYI, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DFW05CA042.