Cessna 182 accident near Houston, Texas, March 15, 2006
On March 15, 2006 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N97881, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas (Houston-Southwest airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while taxiing. A contributing factor was the gusty winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2006 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Houston-Southwest
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N97881 · registry record · serial 18267239
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,100-hour commercial pilot was taxiing to Runway 09 and as he started his left turn to the runway, a gust of wind caused the airplane to veer to the right. The airplane came to rest upright in an adjacent ditch. At the time of the accident, the winds were reported from 160-165 degrees, gusting from 19 to 24 knots, with occasional higher gusts.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 179 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,925 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2006
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AXH Houston TX
- Destination: LBX Angleton/Lake J TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 19 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 140°F (60°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.