Cessna 172 accident near Houston, Texas, October 27, 2018
On October 27, 2018 at about 2:15 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 172, registered N3973L, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Houston, Texas (West Houston airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 apply carburetor heat while operating in an area conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power on approach and subsequent forced landing into a creek.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2018 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · West Houston · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 G, built 1966 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N3973L · no longer on the register · serial 17254142
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that, as the airplane approached the runway after a short local, personal flight, the engine lost power. The pilot checked the fuel valve, mixture, and engaged the starter, but engine power was not restored. The pilot stated that the airplane was "headed directly toward a concrete revetment on the south bank" of a creek, so he banked the airplane left, and it subsequently impacted in the creek. During recovery of the airplane, the fuel selector was found in the "both" position, and the throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat controls were found in the "forward" (off) position. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The atmospheric conditions at the time that the engine lost power were conducive to serious icing at any power, moderate icing at cruise power, and serious icing at descent power. Given the evidence, it is likely that carburetor ice accumulated during the flight and that the pilot did apply carburetor heat, which resulted in a loss of all engine power.
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
- Other weather encounter during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on operation
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,300 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 5,500 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 29, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,006.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 3,010 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IWS Houston TX
- Destination: IWS Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,953 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from KTME, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on January 30, 2019. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Powerplants - Statement from C. Hatch | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Miscellaneous Information - Carburetor Icing Charts Using Surronding Airport Wx Data | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Continental | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photos During Engine Examination | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photos During Recovery - Supplied by Recovery Personnel | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.