Cessna 172 accident near Center, Texas, December 20, 2018
On December 20, 2018 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1962 Cessna 172, registered N8487X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Center, Texas (Center Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2018 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Center, Texas · Center Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 C, built 1962 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8487X · no longer on the register · serial 17248987
- 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, a wind gust "lifted the wing up 90 degrees." She then leveled the wings and added full power. When the wings were leveled, the airplane was above a drainage ditch between the runway and parallel taxiway. She realized that the airplane would not gain enough airspeed to "make the [taxiway]," so she intentionally aerodynamically stalled the airplane to "prevent flipping" it. The airplane descended and impacted the drainage ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right and left wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation system reported that the wind was from 310° at 14 knots, gusting to 23 knots. A weather station located about 2 miles southwest of the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 311° at 2.7 mph (about 2 knots), gusting to 12.1 mph (about 11 knots). The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 35.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 163.5 hours in all; 163.5 in this make and model; 13.5 in the last 90 days; 108.4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 16, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MPR Mc Pherson KS at 5:00 pm
- Destination: F17 Center TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,501 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 22 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from KOCH, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 14, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.