Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P92 ECHO SUPER accident near Arcola, Texas, February 1, 2016
On February 1, 2016 at about 4:15 pm local time, a 2006 Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P92 ECHO SUPER, registered N323BR, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Arcola, Texas (Houston Southwest airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's loss of control after exceeding the airplane's critical angle-of-attack, which lead to a power-on, aerodynamic departure stall. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate oversight of the student pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2016 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Arcola, Texas · Houston Southwest · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P92 ECHO SUPER, built 2006 · all P92 ECHO SUPERs on the register
- Registration
- N323BR · no longer on the register · serial 986
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and a student pilot, who had flown about 5 flight hours with the instructor, were conducting an instructional flight in the light sport airplane. The student pilot reported that he was conducting the takeoff with the instructor assisting, and about 200 ft. above ground level, the airplane began to drift off the runway centerline. The student said that he attempted to correct, but it felt like the airplane was losing engine power and the nose was dropping. He added that he was pulling back on the controls and that the instructor was also pulling back, in an attempt to recover. A witness reported seeing the airplane climbing after takeoff in a nose high attitude when the left wing dropped, and the airplane entered a descending left turn. The airplane then impacted two parked airplanes on a ramp adjacent to a parallel taxiway. A postcrash fire consumed the majority of the airplane. Due to the fire damage, only a limited examination could be conducted; however, no preimpact abnormities were noted with the engine and airframe. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with a power-on departure stall.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- 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: 6,233 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 5,373 as pilot in command; 1,600 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Flight time: 5 hours in all; 5 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,385.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 22, 2015
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Houston Lightsport Aviation, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Houston TX
- Destination: Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from KAXH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 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 N323BR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN16FA094.