Boeing E75 and Cessna 172R accident near Houston, Texas, September 24, 2011
On September 24, 2011 at about 6:30 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing E75 (N54087) and Cessna 172R (N72566), were involved in the same accident near Houston, Texas (Ellington Field). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain visual contact while taxiing.
The pilot of the other airplane’s failure to maintain visual contact while taxiing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2011 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Ellington Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing E75 · all E75s on the register
- Registration
- N54087 · registry record · serial 75-1148
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N72566 · no longer on the register · serial 17281012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing E75 final · quoted from the NTSB record
After landing, the pilot was cleared to taxi his tailwheel-equipped airplane to the ramp and was aware that another airplane would be in front of him as he taxied. As he crossed over an active runway onto the taxiway, he steered straight ahead and did not perform any s-turns to maintain visual contact of the airplane ahead of him. As he cleared the runway, he looked down to change his radio frequency and suddenly realized that he needed to look out for the airplane in front of him. When he looked up, he saw the right wingtip of the other airplane and did not have time to stop before he collided into its tail. The collision resulted in substantial damage to the lower right wing spar. The other airplane sustained substantial damage to the entire tail section including the vertical stabilizer, the rudder, the horizontal stabilizer, and the empennage.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172R final · quoted from the NTSB record
After landing, the certified flight instructor and the student pilot turned off the runway, passed over the hold short lines, and stopped on the taxiway to perform the after-landing checklist. While performing these duties, the airplane was struck from behind by another airplane and sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, horizontal stabilizer, and empennage. The other airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower right wing spar.
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 for the Boeing E75 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 32,000 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor W670 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: History Flight INC
The flight
- Departed from: EFD Houston TX
- Destination: EFD Houston TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from EFD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Cessna 172R from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot of other aircraft
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 23,000 hours in all; 92 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Rhm Holdings LLC
The flight
- Departed from: EFD Houston TX
- Destination: EFD Houston TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.