Cessna 172N accident near Caldwell, Texas, July 9, 2001
On July 9, 2001 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N7332F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Caldwell, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the solo student pilot's intentional engine shutdown, while practicing emergency landing prodecures. 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
- July 9, 2001 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Caldwell, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N7332F · no longer on the register · serial 17273245
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff, the single-engine airplane climbed to 2,500 or 2,600 feet msl and proceeded to the practice area. After arriving at the practice area, the solo student pilot practiced a few steep turns and power on/power off stalls. After completion of the stalls, the airplane had ascended to 4,000 feet msl "so he decided to practice emergency landings." The student pilot applied carburetor heat, throttle to idle, and pulled the mixture out to "stop the prop." He then "established the best glide speed of 65 and looked for a field." The student pilot attempted to restart the engine at 2,000 feet msl by priming the engine 2 or 3 times, then carburetor heat off, mixture rich, and throttle 1/8 open. The engine turned over a couple of times, but would not start, so he set up to land in the field. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a levee, became airborne again and then came to rest upright 20 feet from the levee.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 30 hours in all; 29 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,551 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLL College Station TX at 11:30 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from CLL, 12 miles away
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.