Cessna 140 accident near Lancaster, Texas, May 8, 1994
On May 8, 1994 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N111NZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE TIE DOWNS AND PROPER ASSISTANCE DURING THE HAND PROPPING ENGINE START.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 1994 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Lancaster, Texas · Lancaster Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N111NZ · registry record · serial 12372
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DUE TO A DEAD BATTERY, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO START THE AIRPLANE BY HAND PROPPING THE ENGINE WHILE HIS 14-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON OPERATED THE THROTTLE STANDING OUTSIDE THE RIGHT DOOR OF THE AIRPLANE. THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING AT ABOUT 1,400 RPM WHEN THE PILOT'S GRANDSON FELL DOWN. THE UNATTENDED AIRPLANE MOVED ACROSS THE TRANSIENT RAMP STRIKING THREE PARKED AIRPLANES. THE AIRPLANE WAS NEITHER TIED DOWN OR CHOCKED PRIOR TO THE ATTEMPTED START. THE PILOT MADE NO ATTEMPT TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM ANY OF THE MANY PILOTS THAT WERE PRESENT AT THE AIRPORT RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,250 hours in all; 50 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4TX2 Roanoke TX at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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.
Other NTSB records under N111NZ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 FTW94LA148.