Cessna 172 accident near Amarillo, Texas, May 3, 1987
On May 3, 1987 at about 2:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7259A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Amarillo, Texas (Amarillo Inter'L airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 1987 · about 2:05 pm local time
- Place
- Amarillo, Texas · Amarillo Inter'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7259A · registry record · serial 29359
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LANDING, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RAMP WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THE PASSENGER AND FOUR LINEMEN ATTEMPTED TO HOLD THE AIRCRAFT DOWN, BUT THE WINDS BLEW THE AIRCRAFT OVER INVERTED CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
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: 649 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 29, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,075 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: AMA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 7,900 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 40 knots, gusting 50
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW87LA115.