Cessna 172L accident near San Antonio, Texas, June 22, 2003
On June 22, 2003 at about 3:44 pm local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N912KD, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Antonio, Texas (Cannon Field). It was a personal 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 pilot misjudged his altitude and airspeed, and his failure to perform a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2003 · about 3:44 pm local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · Cannon Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N912KD · no longer on the register · serial 17259316
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was simulating a forced landing from the downwind position for runway 31. He set the power at idle and turned the airplane towards the runway. During the landing on the 2,880-foot long by 100-foot wide grass airstrip, he landed the airplane "long and fast, failed to stop, and hit [a] fence post at the end of the runway." The operator/owner safety recommendation block stated "Better pilot judgment, electing to do a go-around rather than land long." The weather observation facility at the departure airport, reported the wind from 180 degrees at 8 knots, and the density altitude was calculated at 2,352 feet.
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: 2,249 hours in all; 145 in this make and model; 2,249 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 8, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,468 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 2003; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Check Six Aviation, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: SSF San Antonio TX at 3:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,880 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft; clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from SSF, 8 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.