Cessna 551 accident near Lufkin, Texas, December 2, 2020
On December 2, 2020 at about 2:42 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 551, registered N48DK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lufkin, Texas (Angelina County Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to land on a runway that did not provide enough length to stop the airplane given the wet surface conditions, resulting in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 2020 · about 2:42 pm local time
- Place
- Lufkin, Texas · Angelina County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 551, built 1978 · all 551s on the register
- Registration
- N48DK · no longer on the register · serial 551-0095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a 30-minute uneventful instrument flight rules (IFR) flight, the business jet landed in the rain on the 4,311ft-long runway. The pilot reported, and runway skid marks corroborated, that the airplane touched down about 1,000 ft from the approach end of the runway. The pilot reported braking action was initially normal and the anti-skid system cycled twice before it stopped working and he was unable to slow the airplane using the emergency brakes. The airplane continued off the departure end of the runway where it traveled through wet grass and a fence before coming to rest with the landing gear collapsed. A video of the airplane during the landing roll indicated there was a significant amount of water on the runway. No mechanical anomalies were found with the brake/antiskid systems during the postaccident examination of the airplane. Marks on the runway indicated functionality of the antiskid system. Stopping performance calculations estimated the distance required to stop the airplane on the runway was about 4,127 ft. The runway length remaining after the airplane touched down was about 3,311 ft. The pilot was aware of the runway length and weather conditions prior to departure and reported that he should have not accepted the trip.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,772 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,395 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 2, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 14,100 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W JT15D-4 (turbofan); 11,724 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W JT15D-4 (turbofan); 5,584 hours total
- Operator: Aviation Star S
The flight
- Departed from: AUS Austin TX at 7:59 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 4,311 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 900 ft; clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KLFK
Weather report (METAR): KLFK 021453Z AUTO 10006KT 6SM -RA BR BKN065 OVC080 09/07 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP208 P0009 60009 T00890067 53013
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on February 7, 2023. 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 | Accident Video CEN21LA071 | WMV file | Download |
| 2 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN21LA071 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for the Record Accident Site and Airframe Exams CEN21LA071 | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for the Record Estimated Landing Distance Calculations CEN21LA071 | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array CEN21LA071 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | NTSB Certificate of Party Representative Cessna CEN21LA071 (2) | 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.