Cessna 172M accident near Amarillo, Texas, September 14, 2005
On September 14, 2005 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N19998, was destroyed in an accident near Amarillo, Texas (Blue Sky Airfield). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing factors were the reported loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the high density altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2005 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Amarillo, Texas · Blue Sky Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N19998 · registry record · serial 17260921
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,300-hour private pilot reported that during the initial takeoff climb, while at an estimated altitude of 75 to 80 feet above the ground, the engine RPM decayed to 1,950 RPM. Subsequently, the airplane's rate of climb was reduced to zero. The pilot responded by lowering the nose of the airplane and extending the flaps. With no remaining usable runway, the pilot turned the airplane to the left and elected to perform an emergency landing to a field. The pilot added that while maneuvering to avoid a fence, the airplane stalled, impacted the terrain and came to rest on its right side. The pilot, his 3 passengers and two small dogs were able to egress the airplane unassisted. The airplane was engulfed in flames a few minutes later. About 13 minutes after the mishap the weather reporting station 12 miles northeast of the accident site reported, the wind from 040 degrees at 13 knots, the temperature 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and dew point of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. According to information on a Carburetor Icing Probability Chart at the operating temperature/dew point, the airplane was found to be operating within the "serious icing at cruise power" range. Examination of the engine did not revealed any mechanical anomalies. Runway 35 was reported as a 3,800-foot long by 60-foot wide turf runway. The field elevation at the airport was reported at 3,615 feet and the density altitude was calculated at 4,347 feet. The estimated weight of the airplane at the time of departure was at its maximum takeoff weight of 2,300 pounds.
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: 1,300 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 2TX0 Amarillo TX at 2:40 pm
- Destination: LHX La Junta CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,800 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from AMA, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 DFW05CA237.