Cessna 175 accident near Kilgore, Texas, July 20, 2019
On July 20, 2019 at about 11:20 pm local time, a 1958 Cessna 175, registered N7013M, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Kilgore, Texas (Kilgore Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The noncertificated pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack when the airplane became airborne during a high-speed taxi test, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2019 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Kilgore, Texas · Kilgore Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 Undesignat, built 1958 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7013M · no longer on the register · serial 55313
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noncertificated pilot was performing a high-speed taxi on a grass runway when the airplane became airborne, then impacted terrain in a nose-down attitude. The airplane’s left wing and forward fuselage sustained substantial damage. Examination of the airplane revealed no preaccident malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The accident was consistent with the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack when the airplane became airborne during a high-speed taxi test, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain. Whether a medical factor contributed to the accident could not be determined from available evidence.
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 control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Other
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,836.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 25, 2018; 1.1 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,780 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 17, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FAA Investigative Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photographs | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Toxicology Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.