Cessna 172P accident near Fort Worth, Texas, June 28, 1997
On June 28, 1997 at about 8:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N53795, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Worth, Texas (Fort Worth Meacham Intl airport). 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
improper planning/decision by the flight instructor (CFI), which resulted in his inadvertent encounter with jet blast from a twin jet transport airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 1997 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Fort Worth Meacham Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N53795 · no longer on the register · serial 17274817
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a flight instructor (CFI), he taxied a Cessna (N53795) northbound on taxiway A, behind a twin jet transport airplane to takeoff on runway 16L. The twin jet transport airplane turned west and stopped at the hold short line for runway 16L. The CFI stated that he proceeded to taxi behind the jet towards the run up pad. As the Cessna was passing behind the jet, the jet was cleared to takeoff. The CFI further stated that when the 'jet increased [its] throttles, the blast from the added exhaust caught Cessna 795 broadside and tipped it over onto its right wing tip and nose.' The CFI stated that when the 'exhaust blast dissipated, Cessna 795 righted itself.' The pilot shut down the airplane, and evacuated the plane along with the student pilot.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 355 hours in all; 256 in this make and model; 128 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 290 as pilot in command; 115 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTW
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16L, 7,501 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 1 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from FTW
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 N53795 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.