Cessna 172 accident near Fort Worth, Texas, December 18, 1999
On December 18, 1999 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8250U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Worth, Texas (Hicks Airfield). 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 student pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a porpoise.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 1999 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Hicks Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8250U · registry record · serial 17252150
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While performing a touch-and-go landing, the solo student pilot allowed the airplane to touch down nose wheel first, and the airplane porpoised. Subsequently, the airplane bounced a second time, departed the runway, struck the right wing against the ground, and spun around before coming to rest against bushes. The student pilot was endorsed for the solo flight. He had a total flight time of 59.5 hours, of which 42.5 hours were in the accident make and model of aircraft.
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: student
- Flight time: 60 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,185 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 1999; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pro Aircraft
The flight
- Departed from: T67 at 10:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,740 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.