Cessna 172M accident near Midlothian, Texas, April 5, 1999
On April 5, 1999 at about 1:15 am local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N8963V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Midlothian, Texas. 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the powerlines. Factors were the low ceilings and the dusk light illumination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 1999 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Midlothian, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N8963V · no longer on the register · serial 172-64319
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 80 hour pilot collided with unmarked powerlines while maneuvering at low altitude at dusk. The operator reported that soon after departure, the pilot encountered lowering ceilings while en route to a nearby non-towered airport. The ceilings continued to drop to about 300 feet, when the pilot elected to execute a 180 degree turn and return to Grand Prairie. While en route, the pilot heard a loud pop and saw a bright flash of light. The engine sputtered, but then continued to run normally. The pilot reported that he was following the railroad tracks southbound at low altitude en route to the non-towered airport when he collided with powerlines. The location of the collision with the wires was located by the FAA inspectors with the assistance of the power company. The broken wire was found at the location where the railroad tracks make a shallow right turn. The powerline was suspended 28 feet above the tracks. Paint transfers on portions of the severed wire matched the color scheme of the wings. The damage to the right wing matches the southbound right turn scenario described by the 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 80 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 40 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,846 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 22, 1999; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GPM at 1:50 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from RBD
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.