Cessna 170B accident near Victoria, Texas, August 18, 1996
On August 18, 1996 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 170B, registered N600JM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Victoria, Texas (Ball airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll. A related factor was the rough/uneven terrain (gopher mound) on the grass runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1996 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Victoria, Texas · Ball · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170B · all 170Bs on the register
- Registration
- N600JM · registry record · serial 20458
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll on a private dirt airstrip, the airplane hit a gopher mound and veered sideways at about 30 mph, collapsing the right main gear and dragging the right main wing tip on the ground. Also, during the occurrence, the windshield was cracked, engine mounts were bent, and the right door frame deformed. FAA records indicated that the student pilot certificate was issued May 18, 1993. FAA Title 14 CFR Part 61 limits a student pilot from carrying a passenger.
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: 51 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D15 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,400 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.