Cessna 172P N65614

Summary

On 20 March 2026 at about 19:15 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N65614, operated by American Patrols Inc, was involved in an accident near Denton, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

20 March 2026 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Denton, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Denton Enterprise (DTO)

Coordinates

33.2020, -97.1991

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N65614

Category

Airplane

Year built

1982

Engines

1

Operator

American Patrols Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Midland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA143

1 person was seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On March 20, 2026, about 1415 central daylight time, a Cessna 172P airplane, N65614, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Denton, Texas. The pilot sustained minor injuries, and the pilot-rated sensor operator sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight. The pilot reported that during the initial climb, about 200 ft above ground level, he could “feel and hear” a partial loss of engine power and observed a drop in engine RPM. He attempted to restore full engine power by moving the mixture lever full forward and applying carburetor heat. However, the engine continued to lose power. The pilot advised the Air Traffic tower controller, "Pipeline 614 lost our engine." The sensor operator called out possible landing areas, noting "a field to the right," but the pilot stated that he determined landing straight ahead on the remaining runway was the safest option, with about half of the runway remaining. The pilot reduced the throttle to idle, began a forward slip, lowered the flaps, and began to fly gentle S-turns. He then realized he would not have enough room to land on the remaining runway, moved the throttle lever to full forward, pitched the airplane up to climb, and retracted the flaps in an attempt to clear the trees. He stated that he may have felt a “small jolt” of power from the engine as he pitched up. The airplane descended through the trees and came to rest upright. During the accident sequence, the right wing was separated and consumed by a post-impact fire. The right horizontal stabilizer was separated, and the fuselage, empennage, and left wing were substantially damaged. The wreckage was transported to a secure facility for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.