Piper PA-18-105 SPECIAL accident near Houston, Texas, October 5, 2021
On October 5, 2021 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1950 Piper PA-18-105 SPECIAL, registered N7117K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Houston, Texas (West Houston airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper application of brakes during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2021 · about 3:30 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Houston, Texas · West Houston · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-105 SPECIAL, built 1950 · all PA-18-105 SPECIALs on the register
- Registration
- N7117K · registry record · serial 18-340
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction departed on a local flight to perform touch-and-go landings. On the fifth landing, the pilot receiving instruction applied brakes to stop the airplane. The flight instructor reported that the pilot applied too much brake pressure; the nose of the airplane was lower than normal. He directed the pilot to release brake pressure, but the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Substantial damage was sustained to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and right wing.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,663 hours in all; 47.3 in this make and model; 795.6 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,810 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KDWH Houston TX
- Runway 15, 1,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KDWH, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDWH 051553Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 27/17 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP170 T02720172=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 18, 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 Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Findings | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7117K on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-18 Super Cub 3,620 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,848 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 1,067 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- West Houston Airport · nearest airport
- David Wayne Hooks Memorial · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,235 since 1982 · 1,056 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,945 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN22LA005.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.