Embraer EMB120 accident near 40 Nm Vicinity South Of Lake Jackson, Texas, September 20, 2018
On September 20, 2018 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1995 Embraer EMB120, registered N233SW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near 40 Nm Vicinity South Of Lake Jackson, Texas. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
an encounter with severe turbulence, which caused the improperly secured cargo to shift and damage the airplane floor structure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2018 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- 40 Nm Vicinity South Of Lake Jackson, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Embraer EMB120 ER, built 1995 · all EMB120s on the register
- Registration
- N233SW · registry record · serial 120307
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 20, 2018, about 1830 UTC, a Berry Aviation Inc. Embraer EMB-120ER, N233SW, found substantial damage to the cargo area after arriving at Queretaro International Airport (MMQT), Queretaro, Mexico. The two flight crew members were not injured. The flight was being operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 international cargo flight from Shreveport Regional Airport (KSHV), Shreveport, Louisiana, to MMQT. While in cruise flight in Houston, Texas, airspace, the flight crew noticed a storm cell on the weather radar, however, they continued on their routing since they would stay south of the storm. While passing the storm, they encountered severe turbulence for a short period of time. The flight crew notified ATC of the location of the severe turbulence and continued the flight. Upon arrival at MMQT, the flight crew entered the cargo area where they noticed several panels had fallen and were hanging from their attachment points. Further maintenance inspection revealed buckling to four fuselage frames and four floor support structures that covered an area several feet long. The damage was classified as substantial as it would adversely affect the structural strength of the fuselage. The flight crew reported they picked up four pallets of cargo at John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (CYHM), Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Two of the pallets were loaded in zone 2 and two were loaded into zone 3. The pallets were secured with vertical cargo nets. The flight crew departed CYHM at 1322 UTC and arrived at KSHV at 1657 to clear US customs and to take on fuel. They departed KSHV at 1727 UTC for MMQT. After the accident, the operator reminded flight crews to fly 5 or more miles away from thunderstorm cells identified on the weather radar and to secure cargo better to decrease the likelihood that it will shift during turbulence encounters.
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
- Turbulence encounter during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Loading › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,628 hours in all; 1,975 in this make and model; 188 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 751 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,440 hours in all; 201 in this make and model; 171 in the last 90 days; 87 in the last 30 days; 1,202 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 2, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 44,386.7 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, September 4, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 26,433 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW118; 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW118; 0 hours total
- Operator: Berry Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KSHV Shreveport LA at 5:27 pm
- Destination: MMQT Queretaro OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on February 25, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pictures of Floor Damage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Second Set of Pictures of Damage Done to Floor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Pictures of Damage to Upper Fuselage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Second Set of Photos of Damage to Upper Fuselage | 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.