Cessna 172M accident near Mcallen, Texas, July 9, 2003
On July 9, 2003 at about 2:53 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N13368, was destroyed in an accident near Mcallen, Texas (Mcallen Miller International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to recover from a bounced landing which resulted in a loss of control. Contributing factors were the gusty winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2003 · about 2:53 pm local time
- Place
- Mcallen, Texas · Mcallen Miller International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N13368 · no longer on the register · serial 17262706
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was returning to its home base from a local, round-robin flight. Witnesses reported that the accident aircraft was on final approach, when the pilot, without advising the tower, performed a 360-degree left turn. After the 360-degree turn, the aircraft proceeded inbound to the runway. Both witnesses observed the airplane touch down approximately 1,000 feet down the runway on the right main landing gear, bounce once, and start a slow turn to the right. The witnesses also stated that the airplane climbed to about 50 feet AGL, descended slightly, and struck the top of a 40-foot high tree just outside of the airport perimeter fence before nose-diving into the ground. The airplane then burst into flames. No mechanical anomalies were revealed during an examination of the airplane or logbooks. The reported wind conditions at the time of the accident were; 150 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 21 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 393 hours in all
- Last flight review: October 9, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,569.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2002; 62.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 25R Edinburg Int'L TX at 2:00 pm
- Destination: MFE Mcallen TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 7,120 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from MFE, 1 miles away
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.