Cessna 182D accident near Houston, Texas, September 20, 2010
On September 20, 2010 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182D, registered N9071X, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Houston, Texas (Weiser Air Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during the initial climb due to decreased engine oil quantity and pressure as a result of the engine's oil cap not being adequately secured.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2010 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Weiser Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182D · all 182Ds on the register
- Registration
- N9071X · no longer on the register · serial 18253471
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after departure, when the airplane was approximately 250-feet above ground level, oil began to spray onto the windshield. The pilot checked the engine gauges and noticed a drop in oil pressure. As the pilot turned onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern, the engine started to operate abnormally and he performed a 180-degree turn back to the runway. The airplane touched down on the last 250 feet of the runway and proceeded through a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage during the impact with the fence and came to rest upright, among several parked buses. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the engine’s oil cap was hanging by its chain not secured on the engine case. The cap’s gasket appeared worn; however, the inspector could not determine when the cap came off. The pilot reported that the engine was serviced with oil prior to the flight and that he thought that the oil cap was secured afterward.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing area overshoot during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 66 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 17 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,875 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 2010
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KEYQ Houston TX
- Destination: KEYQ Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,455 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KDWH, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
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.