Cessna 170 accident near Houston, Texas, June 2, 2022
On June 2, 2022 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1951 Cessna 170, registered N1396D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Houston, Texas (Houston Southwest Airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inability to compensate for a downdraft during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing, and subsequent loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 2022 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Houston Southwest Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 A, built 1951 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N1396D · registry record · serial 19972
- 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 during the landing the airplane encountered a downdraft. The airplane bounced twice and jerked to the left before the pilot attempted to abort the landing. The airplane departed the runway to the left and then returned back to the runway where the left main landing gear separated from the fuselage. The airplane came to rest on its right main wheel, tail wheel, and left wing, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing spar. The left landing gear damage was consistent with impact and overload separation. A review of the maintenance records did not reveal any maintenance to the left landing gear attach point. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any evidence of a pre-impact anomaly that would have precluded normal operations. It is likely that the landing gear separated from the airplane due to impact forces during the landing.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,094 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 1,022 as pilot in command; 605 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 5, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,751 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, February 28, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300A (piston); 2,167 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T90 Winnie TX at 5:00 pm
- Destination: AXH Arcola TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; scat
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from KAXH
Weather report (METAR): KAXH 071815Z AUTO 20006KT 10SM BKN043 34/22 A2988 RMK AO2 T03360219
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 July 28, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot's Statement | 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.