Cessna 172N accident near Arlington, Texas, March 10, 1990
On March 10, 1990 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N5193F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arlington, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PROCEDURES AND FAILURE TO ASSURE AN ADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY FOR THE PROPOSED FLIGHT WHICH LED TO THE ENSUING ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE'S ERRONEOUS QUANTITY READINGS AND THE SOFT/UNSUITABLE TERRAIN THAT LED TO A NOSE OVER DURING THE SUBSEQUENT EMERGENCY LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1990 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Arlington, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5193F · no longer on the register · serial 17273124
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR AND RATED PRIVATE PILOT WERE CONDUCTING PRACTICE LANDINGS WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION IN THE TURN TO LEFT DOWNWIND. AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING WAS EXECUTED ONTO SOFT TERRAIN AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. NO FUEL WAS FOUND ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE HOWEVER THE LEFT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED ONE QUARTER TANK REMAINING AND THIS DISCREPANCY REMAINED CONSTANT THROUGHOUT THE POST-ACCIDENT TESTING. THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD BRIEFED THE INSTRUCTOR THAT HE COULD NOT CONFIRM VISUALLY THE 1/2 TANK INDICATIONS ON THE FUEL GAUGES DURING PREFLIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD THE PILOT THAT THEY WOULD BE AIRBORNE FOR AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND A HALF AND THAT HE WAS CONFIDENT THE FUEL SUPPLY WAS ADEQUATE.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 938 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 218 in the last 90 days; 66 in the last 30 days; 782 as pilot in command; 484 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
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-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aerocade Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 183° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from FTW, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.