Amateur-built AIR MASTER accident near Katy, Texas, July 25, 1996
On July 25, 1996 at about 2:30 pm local time, a amateur-built AIR MASTER, registered N222Y, was destroyed in an accident near Katy, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper positioning of the fuel tank selector, which resulted in fuel starvation, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. The lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1996 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Katy, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AIR MASTER
- Registration
- N222Y · no longer on the register · serial 1001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to an FAA inspector, witnesses reported the airplane was experiencing 'engine problems.' During an emergency landing, the airplane struck power lines and a fence. The fuel system of the accident airplane was configured so that the engine fed only from the center fuel tank. The right and left wing fuel tanks store fuel until the pilot transfers it into the center tank. Both the right and left fuel tanks have a transfer pump. To transfer fuel, the pilot turns on the transfer pump, and opens the fuel valve to allow fuel to flow from the left or/and right tank to the center tank. Once the fuel is in the center tank, the valve is closed and the pumps turned off. If the valve is left opened, the pumps must be left running to prevent the fuel from draining back into the wing tanks. During an on-scene investigation, the switches for both of the transfer pumps were found in the 'on' position; however, the fuel valve was found in the closed position. The fuel quantity gauges indicated the center tank was empty, the left wing tank was 3/4 full, and the right wing tank was 1/2 full.
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: student
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 86 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 86 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1994; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,885 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IWS Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 13,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from SGR, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.