Cessna 207A accident near Laredo, Texas, March 24, 2021
On March 24, 2021 at about 5:19 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna 207A, registered N9177M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Laredo, Texas (Laredo International Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 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 control the airplane during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2021 · about 5:19 pm local time
- Place
- Laredo, Texas · Laredo International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207A, built 1980 · all 207As on the register
- Registration
- N9177M · no longer on the register · serial 20700677
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while landing, the airplane encountered an “updraft” which “lifted” the airplane. The airplane subsequently came down and made a hard bounce. The pilot corrected, flared a second time, and landed the airplane. During the landing rollout, as he released back pressure, the propeller struck the runway. The pilot shut the airplane down, exited, and noticed the nose landing gear was gone. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 451 hours in all; 136 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 210 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,621.8 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, February 9, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 3,821 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520F (piston); 16,218 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MMAN Monterrey OF at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 18R, 8,743 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from LRD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 13, 2021. 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 | Photo of Aircraft Damage | 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.