Cessna 414 accident near New Braunfels, Texas, September 3, 2025
On September 3, 2025 at about 3:44 pm local time, a 1973 Cessna 414, registered N39HC, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near New Braunfels, Texas. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A in-flight collision with a bird during the descent for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2025 · about 3:44 pm local time
- Place
- New Braunfels, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 414, built 1973 · all 414s on the register
- Registration
- N39HC · registry record · serial 414-0469
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was about 4 miles from the destination airport in a descent to land when the airplane struck a bird. The pilot landed the airplane without incident and substantial damage was found to the right wing. Remains from the birds were submitted to the Smithsonian Institute and were found to belong to a black vulture (coragyps atratus). The average weight of a black vulture is reported to be between 3.5 and 6.6 lbs. Data archived by birdcast.info, showed bird activity at the time of the accident was between medium and high. In addition, data from usahas.com, the U.S. Air Force avian hazard advisory system, showed that the bird strike risk was severe near the collision area.
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
- Birdstrike during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,550 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 24, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 16, 2025; 5,624 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental 520-J (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental 520-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5C1 San Antonio TX at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 31, 6,503 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.99 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 am from KBAZ, 4 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KBAZ 031551Z VRB05KT 10SM FEW100 32/21 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP144 T03220211
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N39HC 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 CEN25LA362.