Cessna 180 accident near Brenham, Texas, July 19, 2021
On July 19, 2021 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1970 Cessna 180, registered N9024M, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Brenham, Texas. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff from a rough field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2021 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brenham, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 H, built 1970 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9024M · registry record · serial 18052124
- 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 he had landed in a field short of the runway due to fuel exhaustion. After he purchased fuel from the landowner and fueled the airplane, the pilot attempted to takeoff proceeding downhill on the rough field. Video taken by a witness showed the airplane start the ground roll and head about 145°. The airplane bounced twice, once coming airborne, before the airplane settled back to the ground. The airplane then pitched up, collided with a barbed wire fence, and climbed slightly before it descended, veered to the left, and collided with terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and both horizontal stabilizers. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The prevailing wind at the time of the accident was a direct crosswind of 5 knots. The pilot refused to provide additional information concerning the accident.
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 during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on operation
The aircraft
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Matagorda Island TX
- Destination: K11R Brenham TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from K11R, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR K11R 192335Z AUTO 28005KT 10SM SCT120 28/26 A2998 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT SW T02770260=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9024M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN21LA331.