Cessna T206H accident near Sabinal, Texas, February 13, 2013
On February 13, 2013 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna T206H, registered N7824G, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Sabinal, Texas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to properly identify the airstrip, which resulted in him landing the airplane off of the airstrip in soft soil causing the nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 2013 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sabinal, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T206H · all T206Hs on the register
- Registration
- N7824G · no longer on the register · serial T20608704
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was approaching to land on a private unimproved runway. The field immediately adjacent to the landing area had been recently plowed. The pilot was landing into the direction of the rising sun, which was just coming over the horizon as he was making his approach. The pilot mistakenly identified a plowed portion of the field for the intended landing area and proceeded to land on it. As he touched down, he noticed the landing area was softer than it should have been, so he kept the nose wheel off the ground as long as he could. The nose wheel finally set down in the soft dirt and dug in, resulting in the airplane flipping over on its back. Both of the airplane's wings, vertical stabilizer, and rudder received substantial damage.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of visual reference during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (landing roll)
- Roll over during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Visual illusion/disorientation › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Glare › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 375 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 8, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 924 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 9, 2012
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IWS Houston TX at 11:15 am
- Destination: Sabinal TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: vv; clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from KUVA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.