Cessna 172D accident near El Paso, Texas, February 25, 1998
On February 25, 1998 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 172D, registered N2526U, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas (El Paso Intl. Airport). It was a personal 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
The pilots improper compensation for the wind conditions and his failure to maintain control of the aircraft. A factor was the high wind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 1998 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · El Paso Intl. Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172D · all 172Ds on the register
- Registration
- N2526U · no longer on the register · serial 17250126
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that he landed the airplane on runway 24. While exiting from the active runway onto the taxiway, in high wind conditions, the airplane was lifted off the ground and flipped over. The winds at the time of the accident were reported from 240 degrees, at 46 knots, with gusts to 51 knots.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 286 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FST
- Destination: ELP
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 11,009 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 240° at 46 knots, gusting 51
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from ELP
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.
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.