Cessna 172P accident near Mckinney, Texas, April 21, 1997
On April 21, 1997 at about 6:21 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N54153, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mckinney, Texas (Mckinney Muni airport). It was an instructional 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
the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control on the ground after recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 1997 · about 6:21 pm local time
- Place
- Mckinney, Texas · Mckinney Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N54153 · no longer on the register · serial 17274892
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the instructor pilot, the student pilot was attempting his second landing during his first supervised solo flight. The first landing was normal and uneventful. However, on the second landing, the 'student porpoised the airplane [and] recovered. After recovering, the student slammed on the brakes and ran off the runway. The aircraft proceeded into a muddy ditch, at which time the nose wheel dug into the mud, broke off from the aircraft and the aircraft flipped over on its back.'
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: student
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,024 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1997; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D25 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Addison Air Training
The flight
- Departed from: ADS Addison TX at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:22 pm from TKI
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.