Cessna 305A accident near Houston, Missouri, July 21, 2019
On July 21, 2019 at about 2:20 pm local time, a 1951 Cessna 305A, registered N1831, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Houston, Missouri (Houston Memorial Airport). It was a personal 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
A total loss of engine power during initial climb due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a forced landing and impact with trees and terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2019 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Missouri · Houston Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305A, built 1951 · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N1831 · no longer on the register · serial 22393
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was practicing full-stop takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern. During the fourth takeoff, about 500 to 600 ft above the ground, the airplane's engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing and the airplane impacted trees and terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination, which included three engine test runs, failed to duplicate the power loss. Examination of the carburetor revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Atmospheric conditions about the time of the accident were conducive to the development of serious carburetor icing at glide power. Given the absence of mechanical anomalies, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of carburetor ice accumulation while the engine was being operated at reduced power settings during the previous landings and ground operations.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Fuel related during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 17 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 31, 2019
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,297 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 11, 2018; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,430 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-11 (piston); 4,330 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M48 Houston MO
- Destination: M48 Houston MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from TBN, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. 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 - Request Letter | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Examination - Carburetor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation - Recovery Operator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo of Main Wreckage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Carburetor Icing Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Aircraft Logbooks Excerpt | PDF, 24 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 14 pages | 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.