Cessna 172N N6521D
26 November 2000 · Katy, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 26 November 2000 at about 23:10 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N6521D was involved in an accident near Katy, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Katy, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 29.8410, -95.7308
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N6521D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- San Antonio → Baytown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW01FA025
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
the failure of both pilots to maintain visual lookout during cruise flight. A contributory factor was sun glare, which obscured the Cessna 150 pilot's visual lookout.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The Cessna 172 was flying level at 2,000 feet, eastbound, when the pilot noticed the Cessna 150 approaching from her left side at a 90-degree angle (from the north). She reported that the Cessna 150 was at an altitude slightly below her airplane's altitude. She entered a climbing right turn and, subsequently, the airplanes collided. The Cessna 172's right main landing gear separated and its right wing and aileron were structurally damaged. The Cessna 172 was able to sustain flight and landed at an airport located approximately 10 miles from the collision area. The Cessna 150 entered an uncontrolled descent and impacted the ground. Two witnesses reported sun glare from the west at the time of the accident. One pilot witness, who departed near the same time as the Cessna 150, and flew the same route as the Cessna 150, stated that the sun was "blinding from [his] 2:00 o'clock to 4:00 o'clock position." He added that the visibility to the south and east was 15 miles or greater and the sky was clear of clouds. Another pilot witness, who departed from the airport the Cessna 172 landed at about 10 minutes before the accident, and was traveling on a northwesterly heading, reported that he observed a "very strong sun glare" and it "seemed impossible to see within plus or minus 15 degrees from the sun's bearing." The witness added that a cold front had passed through the area the day before the accident, and the sky was clear of clouds and haze.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172N 172N | N6521D | - | Substantial |
| Cessna 150E 150E | N3588J | - | Destroyed |
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul 2000 | Cessna 172H | Kutztown, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Dec 2000 | Cessna 172M | Mount Sterling, Kentucky, United States | Kentucky Airmotive | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 2000 | Cessna 172N | Palm Springs, California, United States | Bermuda Dunes Air Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 2000 | Cessna 172R | Battle Creek, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 2000 | Cessna 172 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Sunbird Flight Services | No injuries | - |
| 4 Nov 2000 | Cessna 172P | Inverness, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 2000 | Schweizer G-164B | Moscow, Texas, United States | Paynes Flying Service, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 May 2000 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Garwood, Texas, United States | Michael Thompson | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 2000 | Mooney M20F | Tomball, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2000 | Piper PA-32R-301 | Rocksprings, Texas, United States | Ivan B. Greenhut | No injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 2000 | Cessna 185F | Burnet, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2000 | Piper PA-18 | New Ulm, Texas, United States | Leonard F. Firth | Minor injuries | - |