American AA1B accident near Houston, Texas, September 5, 1988
On September 5, 1988 at about 10:00 pm local time, a American AA1B, registered N6208L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas (Westheimer Air Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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
- September 5, 1988 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Westheimer Air Park
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American AA1B · all AA1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6208L · registry record · serial AA1B-0008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT TURNED TOWARD A FIELD. THE NOSE WHEEL STRUCK A LEVEE AND THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED INVERTED. DURING A POST-CRASH INSPECTION, A LARGE MUD DAUBER NEST WAS FOUND INSIDE THE AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM, JUST BEHIND THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL VALVE. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH VENTED FUEL CAPS, AND THE FUEL TANK VENT LINES IN BOTH WINGS WERE OBSTRUCTED WITH A FOREIGN MATERIAL. THERE WERE NUMEROUS OTHER SMALL MUD-DAUBER NESTS INSIDE THE COWLING.
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: 1,022 hours in all; 345 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 940 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,784 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 18, 1987; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,560 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5TA4 at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 2,500 ft by 28 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 FTW88LA163.