Accident Overview
On December 26, 2025, at approximately 1501 central standard time, a Cessna 172G airplane, registration N172BX, sustained substantial damage following an accident near Taylor, Texas. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight Details
The private pilot, who owned the airplane, reported that the purpose of the local flight was to practice maneuvers. Departing from runway 17 at Taylor Municipal Airport (T74) around 1422, the airplane flew east of the airport, conducted various maneuvers, and then returned to T74. Upon entering the traffic pattern for a touch-and-go landing on runway 17, the pilot applied full power for takeoff.
Engine Failure and Landing
At about 300 feet above ground level during the takeoff, the engine experienced a total loss of power. With limited forced landing options available, the pilot chose to land in a flat grass field near the end of the runway. The airplane contacted the grass field, bounced, and continued beyond it before coming to rest upright in a northwest-to-southeast oriented ditch approximately 100 feet southwest of the departure end of runway 17. The ditch, filled with fresh water, was about 4-5 feet deep. The pilot and passenger egressed without further incident.
Post-Accident Information
The pilot estimated each wing fuel tank was about one-quarter full at the time of the accident. He reported that he did not use the carburetor heat system during approach, landing, or subsequent takeoff. Although the airplane had been modified via an FAA-approved supplemental type certificate to use unleaded automotive gasoline, the pilot stated it was operating on 100 low-lead fuel at the time. The airplane, manufactured in 1966, was equipped with a Continental Motors O-300-D reciprocating engine and a McCauley Propeller 1C172/EM7653 two-blade fixed-pitch aluminum propeller. Substantial damage occurred to the right wing. The airplane was recovered from the ditch and transported to a secure location for future examination.