Cessna 195 accident near Burnet, Texas, April 9, 2009
On April 9, 2009 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Cessna 195, registered N4495C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Burnet, Texas (Burnet Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusting crosswinds during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2009 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Burnet, Texas · Burnet Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195 B · all 195s on the register
- Registration
- N4495C · registry record · serial 16079
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
When the pilot approached his destination airport, the winds were reported to be from 280 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 27 knots with peak winds of 32 knots recorded near the time of the accident. The pilot performed a go-around on the first attempt to land on runway 1. After increasing the intended landing speed by 15 knots, the pilot performed a "normal wheel landing" in his tailwheel-equipped airplane. On roll out, the airplane drifted left and the pilot was unable to correct the direction with ailerons and rudder. The pilot attempted to increase control authority by lowering the tailwheel, but was unable to maintain aircraft control. The airplane ground-looped and departed the right side of the runway. The left gear sheared from the fuselage and the airplane came to rest in a grassy area between the runway and taxiway, where it sustained substantial damage to the gear box, left wing, and left aileron.
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 (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,951 hours in all; 234 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 21,929 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 21, 2007
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,379 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 2008; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755-B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 88R Spicewood TX at 9:20 pm
- Destination: BMQ Burnet TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 15 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from BMQ, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N4495C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.