Cessna 172 M accident near Houston, Texas, October 19, 1985
On October 19, 1985 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172 M, registered N9892Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas (West Houston airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 1985 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · West Houston
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M · all 172 Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9892Q · registry record · serial 17265836
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A GOLF COURSE AND NOSED OVER AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT DURING TAKEOFF. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE GASCOLATOR WAS FULL OF WATER AND THE CARBURETOR CONTAINED 25 PERCENT WATER. NO OTHER DISCREPANCIES IN EQUIPMENT WERE FOUND.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,283 hours in all; 454 in this make and model; 656 in the last 90 days; 16,703 as pilot in command; 580 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,157 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 1985; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from IWS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9892Q 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 FTW86FRA01.