Cessna 172P accident near La Porte, Texas, April 25, 1998
On April 25, 1998 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N52188, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Porte, Texas (Laporte Municipal 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 pilot's premature landing flare and improper recovery procedures from a bounced landing. A factor was the gusty winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 1998 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- La Porte, Texas · Laporte Municipal · 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
- N52188 · registry record · serial 17274430
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had rented the airplane for the purpose of maintaining his flying proficiency. The pilot and his passenger planned on staying in the closed traffic pattern to perform touch-and-go landings. The pilot reported that he had completed four touch-and-go landings on runway 12 without incident. On the fifth landing, which the pilot intended to be a full stop landing, 'he flared too high and the airplane bounced following a firm landing.' During the recovery from the bounced landing, the airplane porpoised twice and touched down hard on the nose landing gear resulting in a blown nose gear tire. Suspecting damage to the nose landing gear, the pilot stated that he added power to abort the landing and come back for another attempt. The pilot successfully used the soft field landing technique on his subsequent landing. The winds at the time of the accident were reported from 140 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 30 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
- Flight time: 245 hours in all; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 24, 1998; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T41 at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 4,171 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
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.