Cessna 172M accident near San Antonio, Texas, May 28, 2008
On May 28, 2008 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N9144H, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio Intl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 an object while taxiing. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's diverted attention and a vehicle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2008 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · San Antonio Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9144H · no longer on the register · serial 17265972
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was taxiing from the pilot school ramp and was about to depart on a solo long cross country flight when the airport ground controller called him on the radio. The pilot became distracted while taxiing and failed to notice the 2,000 gallon aviation gasoline refueling truck in front of him and collided with the right rear of the refueling truck. The impact forces of the right wing of the airplane striking the refueling truck spun the airplane to the right and the airplane's propeller struck the refueling truck causing substantial damage to the right wing and damage to the rear bumper and main storage tank of the refueling truck. The pilot was able to shut down the engine before the propeller ruptured the tank containing the aviation gasoline. There was no post crash fire and the pilot was not injured.
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
- Ground collision during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 72 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,438 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 1, 2008; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-32 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wright Flyers Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: SAT San Antonio TX at 9:14 pm
- Destination: JCT Junction TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KSAT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.