Cessna 150 accident near Jacksonville, Texas, January 20, 2020
On January 20, 2020 at about 6:20 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 150, registered N4763X, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Jacksonville, Texas. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from guy wires associated with a tower while maneuvering at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2020 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 G, built 1966 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N4763X · no longer on the register · serial 15064813
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Radar information showed that, after departing in day visual meteorological conditions, the pilot climbed the airplane to a maximum altitude of about 1,600 ft mean sea level (msl) before entering a gradual descent. The last radar return showed the airplane at a speed of 92 knots and altitude about 900 ft msl. The wreckage was found in the vicinity of a 1,586-ft-tall television tower, and its distribution was consistent with the left wing contacting one of the tower’s guy wires, resulting in a separation of the outboard section of the left wing. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain in a nose-down, near vertical attitude and was destroyed by impact. Examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane or engine. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from tower guy wires while flying at low altitude.
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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,459 hours in all; 9,999 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,601 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KJSO Jacksonville TX at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 49°F (9°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KSJO, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on May 5, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun Angle at 1220 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Track | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Tabular Track Data | data file | Download |
| 4 | Ov Playback | video | View Download |
| 5 | Ov Track Data | data file | Download |
| 6 | Wreckage on Google Earth | map file | Download |
| 7 | Accident Site, Airframe and Engine Exam | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Textron Exam Report | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Fuel at Jso | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Fuel Transaction | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (Textron) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.