Cessna 195B accident near Amarillo, Texas, December 20, 2003
On December 20, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 195B, registered N6850D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Amarillo, Texas (Buffalo Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The leakage of the left brake master cylinder cap, which resulted in the loss of hydraulic fluid and the failure of the left brake.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Amarillo, Texas · Buffalo Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195B · all 195Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6850D · no longer on the register · serial 16026
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,073-hour pilot reported that during his preflight inspection prior to the accident flight, he observed a red fluid seeping from the belly of the aircraft. The pilot stated this was "becoming a common occurrence, requiring him to fill the brake reservoir frequently." The pilot checked the brakes prior to starting the engine and had no problems holding the airplane still with brakes during the engine run up. Unsatisfied with the landing on runway 20 (a 5,500-foot long and 124-foot wide turf runway), the pilot decided to make a touch-n-go landing without the use of the brakes. During the second landing, "all was well until the ground roll, at an approximate speed of 50 miles per hour." The aircraft started to veer to the right, and the pilot applied left brake. As the speed reduced, the aircraft began to ground loop, shearing off the left landing gear at the fuselage. Examination of the aircraft brake system by the pilot revealed hydraulic fluid was leaking the reservoir cap on the left brake master cylinder (Cessna Aircraft Illustrated Parts Catalog Part Number 0411302-21) in the area where the mounting lug (Part Number 0411302-8) bolts onto the reservoir cap.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,073 hours in all; 667 in this make and model; 1,033 as pilot in command; 40 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 17, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,420 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 2003; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755-82 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1E7 Amarillo TX at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 1E7 Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 5,500 ft by 124 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from AMA, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.