Cessna 172N accident near Cleveland, Texas, August 4, 2004
On August 4, 2004 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4865G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cleveland, Texas. It was an instructional 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 student pilot's improper judgment of the airplanes altitude during landing. A contributing factor was the pilot's level of anxiety/apprehension after becoming lost/disoriented.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2004 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4865G · no longer on the register · serial 17273412
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 32-hour student pilot reported that during landing to an open field, the airplane struck a slightly raised road and nosed over. The student pilot added that after departure on his solo cross-country, he became overwhelmed with a feeling of being lost, and eventually became sick. The student pilot stated that he needed to land as quickly as possible after realizing he couldn't find one of his checkpoints on the solo cross-country flight.
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: 32 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,490 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 21, 2004; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,215 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-HZAD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DWH Spring TX at 8:40 pm
- Destination: LFK Lufkin TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
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.