Cessna 172N accident near Houston, Texas, March 3, 1993
On March 3, 1993 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N8071E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL STARVATION POWER LOSS DUE TO CARBURETOR RESTRICTION FROM A FOREIGN OBJECT, THE INADEQUATE INSPECTION AND IMPROPER OVERHAUL OF THE CARBURETOR BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1993 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N8071E · no longer on the register · serial 17272127
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED AND THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A SMALL FIELD LOCATED NEAR HOUSES IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AFTER ROLLING APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET. EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR BY THE FAA REVEALED A PIECE OF BRASS LODGED IN THE FUEL METERING PORT WHICH HAD STARVED THE ENGINE OF FUEL. THE CARBURETOR HAD 29.7 HOURS OF OPERATION SINCE OVERHAUL. NO WORK HAD BEEN DONE TO IT SINCE INSTALLATION.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,944 hours in all; 1,900 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,683 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,659 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 26, 1992; 179 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GGG Longview TX at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from DWH, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.