Cessna 195 accident near Conroe, Texas, May 31, 1999
On May 31, 1999 at about 7:58 pm local time, a Cessna 195, registered N2151C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Conroe, Texas (Montgomery County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue fracture of the left main landing gear spring at the clamping mechanism, as a result of fretting.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1999 · about 7:58 pm local time
- Place
- Conroe, Texas · Montgomery County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195 · all 195s on the register
- Registration
- N2151C · registry record · serial 16136
- 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, the pilot heard a loud pop, then the left wing dropped to the runway, and the airplane slid about 50 to 75 feet before coming to a stop. The left main landing gear was found in the middle of the runway, approximately 80 to 90 feet from where the airplane came to a stop. The inboard section of the separated left main landing gear spring was sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for examination. The examination revealed that fatigue had initiated from an area that contained fretting damage from contact with the clamping mechanism.
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: 487 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 412 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,635 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1998; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755B-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DWH Houston TX at 7:30 pm
- Destination: CXO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 3,974 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.