Cessna 172 accident near Canyon Lake, Texas, June 9, 1993
On June 9, 1993 at about 4:12 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6446B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Canyon Lake, Texas (Canyon Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE MOVEMENT OF THE PILOT'S SEAT AFT WHICH RESULTED IN HIS LOSS OF CONTROL, HIS INABILITY TO REGAIN CONTROL, AND THE ENSUING INADVERTENT STALL. A FACTOR WAS THE INADEQUATE INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 1993 · about 4:12 pm local time
- Place
- Canyon Lake, Texas · Canyon Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6446B · no longer on the register · serial 17229646
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE RUN UP, HE MOVED HIS SEAT BACK TO SECURE ONE OF THE DOORS AND THEN READJUSTED HIS SEAT TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, THE SEAT TRAVELED AFT AND THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. IT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED TREES IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE OFF ONE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE SEAT LATCHING MECHANISM REVEALED THAT IT WAS INTACT, AS WERE THE SEAT TRACKS. EXAMINATION OF THE LATCHING HOLES INDICATED THAT THEY WERE ELONGATED AND SCRAPE MARKS WERE EVIDENT BETWEEN THE HOLES. THE END OF THE LATCHING PIN WAS ROUNDED. THE SEAT LATCHING MECHANISM SUBSEQUENTLY OPERATED NORMALLY. THE SEAT LATCH AD INSPECTION HAD LAST BEEN PERFORMED TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,505 hours in all; 360 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 15,012 as pilot in command; 6,409 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,161 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 1993; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,075 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 34TS at 4:12 pm
- Destination: 34TS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,600 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,400 ft; not recorded at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.