Cessna 172M accident near Mesquite, Texas, November 24, 1997
On November 24, 1997 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80831, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mesquite, Texas (Mesquite Metro airport). 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
the pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, while landing. The gusty crosswind was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 1997 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mesquite, Texas · Mesquite Metro · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80831 · no longer on the register · serial 17266765
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing flare, while practicing a soft field landing technique on runway 17, he encountered a wind gust from the right which offset the airplane to the left of the runway's centerline. He stated that he applied full power to abort the landing; however, the airplane continued to drift to the left and was headed towards the airport's windsock. While attempting to maneuver to avoid the windsock, the pilot lost control of the airplane, and the airplane nosed over coming to rest in an inverted position. In a written report, the pilot stated that 'he believed that full power was not achieved despite forward throttle position.' He added that 'he did not have sufficient time to close the carburetor heat' during his attempt to abort the landing. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 140 degrees at 10 gusting to 15 knots. The flight crew of a King Air that landed on the same runway, while the Cessna was on downwind, reported that they 'did not see or feel anything unusual during their approach, landing or roll out.'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 260 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,582 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 1997; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E20 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F54 Arlington TX at 5:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
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.