Cessna 172P accident near Gainesville, Texas, June 2, 2003
On June 2, 2003 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N51611, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gainesville, Texas (Gainesville Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing. Contributing factors were the prevailing crosswind and the pilot's failure to abort landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 2003 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Gainesville, Texas · Gainesville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N51611 · no longer on the register · serial 17274329
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 33-hour student pilot was not able to maintain directional control while landing with a right crosswind. The student pilot reported that as he landed, a wind gust blew the aircraft to the far left of the runway. The student pilot applied right rudder, right aileron, full power, carburetor heat in, and removed 10 degrees of flaps. The pilot then added full power to go-around. The airplane departed the 100-foot wide runway to the left, and impacted the windsock. At 1306, the GLE Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) reported the winds from 260 degrees at 10 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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 33 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,021 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 11, 2003; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTW Fort Worth TX at 4:45 pm
- Destination: GLE Gainesville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 6:06 pm from GLE
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 N51611 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.