Cessna 172S accident near San Antonio, Texas, June 24, 2004
On June 24, 2004 at about 6:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N810SA, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Antonio, Texas (Stinson Municipal Airport). 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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2004 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · Stinson Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N810SA · registry record · serial 172S-9422
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a third take-off from runway 14, the 76-hour student pilot flew a left hand traffic pattern and lined up for a short-field landing, aiming for the "second stripe" of runway 14. As the pilot retracted the flaps after touching down, he "lost control of the airplane to the right." He applied light brakes, and "didn't want to make any other movement to the rudder" because he was already in the grass to the right of the runway. The airplane impacted a taxiway sign and spun around. At the time of the accident, the winds were reported as variable, at 3 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: student
- Flight time: 76 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 256.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 2004; 37.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wright Flyers Aviation, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: SAT San Antonio TX at 5:30 pm
- Destination: SSF San Antonio TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 4,128 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from SSF
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.