Cessna 172P accident near Burnet, Texas, May 3, 1989
On May 3, 1989 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N5253K, was destroyed in an accident near Burnet, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 1989 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Burnet, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N5253K · no longer on the register · serial 17274032
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS ADVISED BEFORE DEPARTING ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. HE DEPARTED WITHOUT FILING A FLIGHT PLAN. BEFORE REACHING AN INTERMEDIATE STOP, HE OBTAINED AN UPDATED WEATHER BRIEFING FOR THE LOCAL AREA AND HIS FINAL DESTINATION. AFTER REFUELING, HE TOOK OFF AND PROCEEDED TOWARD HIS DESTINATION WHICH WAS APRX 156 NM TO THE EAST. A LARGE SLOW MOVING FRONTAL SYSTEM WAS POSITIONED OVER NORTHCENTRAL TEXAS AT THE TIME. THE PILOT'S ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS ALONG THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE FRONT. LIGHT DRIZZLE, FOG, AND LOW CEILINGS EXISTED ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A DESCENT & CRASHED APRX 63 MI SOUTHWEST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AFTER ABOUT 3 HRS & 20 MINUTES OF FLIGHT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND, THOUGH IT WAS BADLY DAMAGED DURING IMPACT. SEVERAL LOCAL PEOPLE STATED THERE WAS LOW CEILINGS, FOG AND DRIZZLE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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: 299 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 285 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,407 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SJT San Angelo TX at 4:10 pm
- Destination: F60 Mcgregor TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 30 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.