Cessna 180 accident near Lubbock, Texas, October 27, 1992
On October 27, 1992 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N75077, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lubbock, 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
THE PARTIAL POWER LOSS DUE TO A DISCONNECTED THROTTLE CABLE. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN AT THE PILOT'S DISPOSAL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 1992 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lubbock, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N75077 · no longer on the register · serial 30290
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AN INSTRUCTOR WAS PROVIDING QUALIFICATION TRAINING TO THE NEW OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE. ON HIS FIFTH STOP AND GO LANDING, THE PILOT RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE ABEAM HIS INTENDED LANDING POINT. WHILE ON BASE LEG, HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO ADJUST HIS RATE OF DESCENT BUT THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND AND CONTINUED TO RUN AT IDLE SPEED. CONTROLS WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE INSTRUCTOR WHO ALSO ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE POWER WITHOUT SUCCESS. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT A RETAINING CLIP ANCHORING THE THROTTLE CABLE ASSEMBLY TO THE FIREWALL WAS MISSING THUS ALLOWING THE ENTIRE HOUSING TO MOVE WHENEVER THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED OR RETARDED. WHILE ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING TO A CULTIVATED FIELD, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS SEVERED ON IMPACT WITH THE FURROWS.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 10,800 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 8, 1992; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F82 at 4:00 pm
- Destination: F82
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from LBB, 7 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.
Other NTSB records under N75077 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.