Cessna 172S accident near Batesville, Texas, September 29, 2005
On September 29, 2005 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N5343U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Batesville, Texas. 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 failure to maintain clearance from the tree. A contributing factor was the gusty winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2005 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Batesville, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N5343U · no longer on the register · serial 172S9362
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 2,779-hour private pilot performed a short/soft field takeoff from a dirt road that was oriented in a northeasterly direction. About 15 feet above ground level (agl) the single-engine airplane drifted to the right side of the road and the outer 12 inches of the right wing came into contact with branches from a mature mesquite tree. As the airplane yawed and banked to the right, the pilot responded by applying full left aileron and rudder to no avail. Shortly thereafter the airplane impacted terrain and came to rest in an upright position. The pilot and sole passenger were able to egress the airplane unassisted. There was no post-impact fire. The wind was reported from approximately 60 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,779 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 235 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2004; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Batesville TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.