Cessna 172L accident near Stephenville, Texas, April 3, 2005
On April 3, 2005 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N3889Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stephenville, Texas (Clark Field Municipal Airrport). It was a personal 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 pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 2005 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stephenville, Texas · Clark Field Municipal Airrport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N3889Q · registry record · serial 17259989
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 123-hour private pilot entered a left downwind for runway 14 (a 4,200-foot by 75-foot asphalt runway), and proceeded to fly a left traffic pattern. On final approach, the airplane had 20 degrees of flaps and was traveling at approximately 70 miles per hour. During touch down the airplane "porpoised and came off the ground." The pilot elected to abort the landing and then proceeded around the traffic pattern. After landing successfully, the pilot taxied the airplane to parking. The wind at the time of the mishap was from 180 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 18 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 123 hours in all; 88 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 55 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,802.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 28, 2005; 6.3 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TKI Mckinney TX at 5:45 pm
- Destination: SEP Stephenville TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 14, 4,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from SEP
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.
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.