Cessna 172P and Mooney M20K mid-air collision near Houston, Texas, June 6, 1988
On June 6, 1988 at about 11:10 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 172P (N96957) and Mooney M20K (N231QB), were involved in a mid-air collision near Houston, Texas (West Houston-Lakeside airport). 4 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
- June 6, 1988 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · West Houston-Lakeside
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N96957 · no longer on the register · serial 172761138
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Mooney M20K · all M20Ks on the register
- Registration
- N231QB · registry record · serial 250237
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172P final · quoted from the NTSB record
CESSNA N96957 WAS INVOLVED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION WITH MOONEY N231QB WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE LANDING AT THE UNCONTROLLED WEST HOUSTON-LAKESIDE AIRPORT. THE PILOTS OF THE CESSNA AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE RECTANGULAR PATTERN PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. THE MOONEY AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING ON A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH AFTER AN INSTRUMENT TRAINING FLIGHT. THE MOONEY WAS ABOVE AND OVERTAKING THE CESSNA. THE COLLISION OCCURRED WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE LANDING FLARES. THE MOONEY'S PROPELLER SEVERED THE EMPENNAGE OF THE CESSNA. THE CESSNA NOSED UP INTO AN INVERTED ATTITUDE AND STRUCK THE TAIL OF THE MOONEY BEFORE CRASHING ON THE RUNWAY. THE MOONEY MADE A SAFE LANDING. THE MOONEY SECOND PILOT STATED LATER THAT THE PILOT (MOONEY) WAS HIGH AND SLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FINAL PREVENTING THE SECOND PILOT FROM SEEING FORWARD AND DOWN. THE MOONEY PILOTS DID NOT NOTE THE ANNOUNCED POSITION OF THE CESSNA IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN OR A WARNING FROM ANOTHER PILOT THAT THERE WERE TWO ACFT LNDG.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Mooney M20K final · quoted from the NTSB record
MOONEY N231QB WAS INVOLVED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION WITH CESSNA N96957 WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE LANDING AT THE UNCONTROLLED WEST HOUSTON-LAKESIDE AIRPORT. THE MOONEY AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING ON A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH. THE PILOTS OF THE CESSNA AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE RECTANGULAR PATTERN PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. THE MOONEY WAS ABOVE AND OVERTAKING THE CESSNA. THE COLLISION OCCURRED WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE LANDING FLARES. THE MOONEY'S PROPELLER SEVERED THE EMPENNAGE OF THE CESSNA. THE CESSNA NOSED UP INTO AN INVERTED ATTITUDE AND STRUCK THE TAIL OF THE MOONEY BEFORE CRASHING ON THE RUNWAY. THE MOONEY MADE A SAFE LANDING. THE MOONEY SECOND PILOT STATED LATER THAT THE PILOT (MOONEY) WAS HIGH AND SLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FINAL PREVENTING THE SECOND PILOT FROM SEEING FORWARD AND DOWN. THE MOONEY PILOTS DID NOT NOTE THE ANNOUNCED POSITION OF THE CESSNA IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN OR A WARNING FROM ANOTHER PILOT THAT THERE WERE TWO ACFT LANDING ON THE ACTIVE RWY.
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 for the Cessna 172P from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 4,900 as pilot in command; 3,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,339 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 18, 1988; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IWS at 9:30 pm
- Destination: IWS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,955 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from DWH, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
The factual record for the Mooney M20K from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,626 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 193 in the last 90 days; 72 in the last 30 days; 95 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,310 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 1987; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-GB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IWS at 10:06 pm
- Destination: IWS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,955 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 FTW88FA114.