Cessna A185F accident near Sugar Land, Texas, August 15, 2020
On August 15, 2020 at about 4:50 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna A185F, registered N5418E, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sugar Land, Texas (Sugar Land Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power after takeoff for undetermined reasons, and the pilot’s subsequent exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2020 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Sugar Land, Texas · Sugar Land Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F, built 1979 · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5418E · registry record · serial 18503968
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that, shortly after takeoff, the engine lost total power. He stated that the airplane airspeed decayed quickly, and he chose to land in a grass area next to the departure runway. In the final turn toward the grass area, he selected full flaps and tried to slow the airplane, but the airplane stalled, then impacted terrain and skidded about 100 ft before coming to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage, which included damage to the lower fuselage structure. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.
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 engine power (total) during takeoff defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Loss of control in flight during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,025 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 14,950 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 24, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,264.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,525 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-D13B (piston); 728 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGR Sugar Land TX at 4:50 pm
- Destination: TS07 Cypress TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 8,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from SGR, 1 miles away
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 June 2, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum - Wreckage Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Log | 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.