Cessna A185F accident near Houston, Texas, January 3, 2000
On January 3, 2000 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N999SW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas (Clover Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the loss of engine power during climb as a result of fatigue cracking of the #4 cylinder head and its subsequent separation from its barrel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 2000 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Clover Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N999SW · registry record · serial 18503720
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was climbing through 3,500 feet after departure when the pilot heard a sequence of loud bangs. The pilot stated that the airplane started to vibrate, therefore, he elected to pull the throttle to idle and returned to the departure airport. The pilot stated that he could not make it to the active runway and elected to land on a grass strip located on the airport. The pilot attempted to slow the airplane before impacting a ditch. The airplane nosed over at 40 knots, coming to rest inverted. Examination of the engine revealed that the #4 cylinder head separated from its cylinder barrel as a result of fatigue cracking originating in the cylinder head threads. The engine was overhauled 111.5 hours prior to the accident, at which time, 6 channel chromed overhauled cylinders were installed. It could not be determined how many hours the cylinders had accumulated or how many times they had been overhauled. There is no requirement to track cylinder hours or overhaul occurrences.
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
- Flight time: 1,392 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 131 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 1,323 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,094 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1999; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVJ at 6:15 pm
- Destination: GGG Longview TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 2,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,700 ft; scat at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:16 pm from LVJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.