Cessna 172G accident near Fort Stockton, Texas, November 1, 2002
On November 1, 2002 at about 5:10 am local time, a Cessna 172G, registered N6072R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Stockton, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to conduct VFR flight into IMC and his failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors were the dark night, clouds, fog, and the lack of suitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 1, 2002 · about 5:10 am local time
- Place
- Fort Stockton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N6072R · no longer on the register · serial 172-53741
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported to the FAA inspector, who traveled to the accident site, that while on a VFR night cross-country flight, above a solid overcast, he became concerned about the fuel status, and elected to descend the airplane through the weather. After breaking out of the overcast, the airplane impacted terrain, coming to rest in an open field. The pilot reported having accumulated approximately 2,500 flight hours, of which about 1,257 were accumulated in military aircraft, about 400 in the accident make and model, with about 30 hours within the preceding 30 days. The weather in the vicinity of the accident was reported as a 600-foot overcast ceiling, with the visibility at one mile in fog, with calm winds.
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, military
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P33 Wilcox AZ
- Destination: BAZ New Braunfels TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.