Cessna 172M and Northrop T-38A mid-air collision near Elmendorf, Texas, August 7, 1990
On August 7, 1990 at about 7:46 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 172M (N1466V) and Northrop T-38A (USAF), were involved in a mid-air collision near Elmendorf, Texas (Kelly Afb airport). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) IN THE CESSNA 172 AND BY BOTH PILOTS IN THE T-38.
INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY BOTH PILOTS IN THE T-38 AND BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) IN THE CESSNA 172.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1990 · about 7:46 pm local time
- Place
- Elmendorf, Texas · Kelly Afb · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N1466V · registry record · serial 17263603
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Northrop T-38A · all T-38As on the register
- Registration
- USAF · no longer on the register · serial 64-13273
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · military rules
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172M final · quoted from the NTSB record
A USAF T-38 & A CESSNA 172 COLLIDED AT 4200' MSL. DRG IMPACT, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE T-38 STRUCK THE RGT SIDE OF THE 172'S ENG. THE ENG SEPD & THE 172 PLTS LNDD ON A ROAD. THE T-38 DSCNDD OUT OF CTL, BUT THE T-38 PLTS EJECTED SAFELY. BFR IMPACT, THE STUDENT IN THE 172 (WITH A VISION RESTRICTING DEVICE) & HIS INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WERE PRACTICING AIR WORK MNVRS. THE TANDEM SEAT T-38A (WITH AN INSTRUCTOR PLT IN THE BACK SEAT & A RATED PLT IN THE FNT SEAT) WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 33 APCH TO KELLY AFB. THE T-38'S SPD WAS ABOUT 330 KTS; THE SPD LIMITATION OF 250 KTS HAD BEEN WAIVED FOR T-38 ACFT, DUE TO THE ACFT'S LACK OF CONTROLLABILITY AT THE LOWER SPD. THE 172 WAS EQUIPPED WITH A TRANSPONDER, BUT IT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH MODE C. THE T-38 WAS EQUIPPED WITH A MODE C TRANSPONDER. BOTH ACFT WERE IN RADIO CTC WITH THE SAN ANTONIO SOUTH DEP CTLR, BUT ABT 3 MIN BFR THE COLLISION, RADAR SVC WITH THE 172 HAD BEEN TRMTD.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Northrop T-38A final · quoted from the NTSB record
A USAF T-38 & A CESSNA 172 COLLIDED AT 4200' MSL. DRG IMPACT, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE T-38 STRUCK THE RGT SIDE OF THE 172'S ENG. THE ENG SEPD & THE 172 PLTS LNDD ON A ROAD. THE T-38 DSCNDD OUT OF CTL, BUT THE T-38 PLTS EJECTED SAFELY. BFR IMPACT, THE STUDENT IN THE 172 (WITH A VISION RESTRICTING DEVICE) & HIS INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WERE PRACTICING AIR WORK MNVRS. THE TANDEM SEAT T-38A (WITH AN INSTRUCTOR PLT IN THE BACK SEAT & A RATED PLT IN THE FNT SEAT) WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 33 APCH TO KELLY AFB. THE T-38'S SPD WAS ABOUT 330 KTS; THE SPD LIMITATION OF 250 KTS HAD BEEN WAIVED FOR T-38 ACFT, DUE TO THE ACFT'S LACK OF CONTROLLABILITY AT THE LOWER SPD. THE 172 WAS EQUIPPED WITH A TRANSPONDER, BUT IT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH MODE C. THE T-38 WAS EQUIPPED WITH A MODE C TRANSPONDER. BOTH ACFT WERE IN RADIO CTC WITH THE SAN ANTONIO SOUTH DEP CTLR, BUT ABT 3 MIN BFR THE COLLISION, RADAR SVC WITH THE 172 HAD BEEN TRMTD.
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 for the Cessna 172M from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,232 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,734 as pilot in command; 1,866 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wright Flyers INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SAT San Antonio TX at 7:20 pm
- Destination: SAT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:03 pm from SAT, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
The factual record for the Northrop T-38A from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 538 hours in all; 431 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 219 as pilot in command; 219 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge J-85-OE-5H (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Department Of Defense
The flight
- Departed from: RND Randolph Afb TX at 6:50 pm
- Destination: DLF Del Rio TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 33, 11,550 ft by 300 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW90FA151.