Cessna 172RG accident near San Angelo, Texas, January 6, 1983
On January 6, 1983 at about 3:48 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N5276U, was destroyed in an accident near San Angelo, Texas (San Angelo airport). It was an aerial observation 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 1983 · about 3:48 pm local time
- Place
- San Angelo, Texas · San Angelo
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N5276U · no longer on the register · serial 172RG0319
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT HAD REACHED AN ALT OF 3500 FT MSL WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT TURNED BACK TOWARD HIS DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE ENGINE THEN LOST ALL POWER AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A PLOWED FIELD WITH LANDING GEAR DOWN. WHEN THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN IT NOSED OVER. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ANGLE REVEALED A FAILED VALVE WHICH HAD PENETRATEDA ROCKER BOX COVER ON A CYLINDER.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 2,360 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 2,240 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 990 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 1982
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BBD Brady TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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.
Other NTSB records under N5276U 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.