Cessna 140 accident near Gilchrist, Texas, November 24, 2001
On November 24, 2001 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N72701, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gilchrist, Texas (Private airport). It was a personal 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 improper use of carburetor heat during takeoff and his selection of a downwind runway, which resulted in a degradation of performance and the airplane impacting an embankment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2001 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Gilchrist, Texas · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N72701 · no longer on the register · serial 9880
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off to the south from a grass field, which measured approximately 760 feet in length and was located adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. The northern half of the field was mowed, whereas the southern half of the field was not. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that he felt like the airplane's engine was not producing full power. The airplane neared the end of the field where it contacted a two-foot embankment with its tail wheel and nosed over inverted into water. The pilot reported that he left the carburetor heat in the ON position during takeoff. He also reported that he took off with a "slight tailwind." At the time of the accident, a nearby weather observation facility reported the wind from the northwest at 8 knots.
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,689 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 3,466 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 19, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,335.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 10, 2001; 17.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Gilchrist TX at 4:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 760 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 3:52 pm from GLS, 28 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.
Other NTSB records under N72701 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.