N4865G

On August 4, 2004, at 1630 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N single-engine airplane, N4865G, was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing near Cleveland, Texas. The airplane was registered to and operated by United Flight Systems, of Spring, Texas. The student pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The cross country flight originated from the David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH), near Spring, Texas, at 1540, and was destined for Lufkin, Texas.

The 32-hour student pilot reported on the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) that after departure on his solo cross-country flight, he received the initial heading of 028 degrees confused with 280 degrees. After arriving at his first checkpoint, he realized he was approximately 4 miles off course. Upon reaching what he thought was his second check point, he initiated a climb to 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl). During the flight to his next cross-country checkpoint, he realized he wasn't able to locate it. The student pilot stated that he developed an "overwhelming feeling of being lost," and eventually "felt very sick."

The student pilot further reported that he thought that he was in the area of Cleveland, Texas, and attempted to look for the airport. After a brief search, he was unable to find the airport and decided he needed to land. After picking a suitable field for landing, he initiated a descent to "get down as quickly as possible." While on final approach, he saw a road and thought he would be high enough to clear it. However, the airplane impacted the road, nosed over, and came to rest in an inverted position.

Examination of the airplane by an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed the left wing spar, vertical stabilizer, and rudder were bent.