Cessna 172RG accident near Waco, Texas, March 24, 2001
On March 24, 2001, a Cessna 172RG, registered N4823V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waco, 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 failure of the number four cylinder exhaust valve which resulted in a total loss of engine power during cruise. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2001
- Place
- Waco, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N4823V · registry record · serial 172RG0391
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the engine "began to vibrate excessively and would not produce enough power to maintain altitude." Approximately 5 miles from an alternate airport, the engine "quit completely and locked up," and the pilot initiated a forced landing to a field. The airplane touched down in the field, struck a fence and a ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the engine revealed that the number four exhaust valve separated from its stem and was found "wedged" in the spark plug hole. The number four exhaust valve push-rod and push-rod tube were bent aft at the cam follower end. According to the engine maintenance records, the engine was field overhauled on June 22, 1999, and had accumulated approximately 450 flight hours since overhaul at the time of the accident.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 606 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 606 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 12, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 11, 2000; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTW Fort Worth TX
- Destination: GTU Georgetown TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°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.