# Accident 20001126023591A: Cessna 172N, Houston, TX, November 26, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 26, 2000, 17:10 local time
- Place: Houston, TX
- Airport: West Houston-Lakeside Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Collision: Midair collision, first aircraft
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.8410° N, 95.7308° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.8410&lon=-95.7308&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6521D, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6521D) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N
- Reported engine: LYC O320H2AD
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 173 total, 124 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01FA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01FA025) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001126023591A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) AT APPROX. 17:10 ON NOVEMBER 26, 2000, WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, A CESSNA 150 AIRCRAFT, N3588J, COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER CESSNA 172 A/C N6521D. A/C N3588J CRASHED IN THE 27500 BLOCK OF THE KATY FREEWAY (INTERSTATE 10E), KILLING THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT. A/C N6521D WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT AND LANDED APPROX. 10 NAUTICAL MILES TO THE NORTHEAST OF WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT. A/C N3588J WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. A/C N6521D RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WERE TWO OCCUPANTS ON BOARD A/C N6521D, NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.(.4) THE CESSNA 172 WAS FLYING LEVEL AT 2,000 FEET, EASTBOUND, WHEN THE PILOT NOTICED THE CESSNA 150 APPROACHING FROM HER LEFT SIDE AT A 90-DEGREE ANGLE (FROM THE NORTH). SHE REPORTED THAT THE CESSNA 150 WAS AT AN ALTITUDE SLIGHTLY BELOW HER AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE. SHE ENTERED A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN AND, SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANES COLLIDED. THE CESSNA 172'S RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED AND ITS RIGHT WING AND AILERON WERE STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED. THE CESSNA 172 WAS ABLE TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT AND LANDED AT AN AIRPORT LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM THE COLLISION AREA. THE CESSNA 150 ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. TWO WITNESSES REPORTED SUN GLARE FROM THE WEST AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ONE PILOT WITNESS, WHO DEPARTED NEAR THE SAME TIME AS THE CESSNA 150, AND FLEW THE SAME ROUTE AS THE CESSNA 150, STATED THAT THE SUN WAS "BLINDING FROM [HIS] 2:00 O'CLOCK TO 4:00 O'CLOCK POSITION." HE ADDED THAT THE VISIBILITY TO THE SOUTH AND EAST WAS 15 MILES OR GREATER AND THE SKY WAS CLEAR OF CLOUDS. ANOTHER PILOT WITNESS, WHO DEPARTED FROM THE AIRPORT THE CESSNA 172 LANDED AT ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND WAS TRAVELING ON A NORTHWESTERLY HEADING, REPORTED THAT HE OBSERVED A "VERY STRONG SUN GLARE" AND IT "SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WITHIN PLUS OR MINUS 15 DEGREES FROM THE SUN'S BEARING." THE WITNESS ADDED THAT A COLD FRONT HAD PASSED THROUGH THE AREA THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND THE SKY WAS CLEAR OF CLOUDS AND HAZE.

## Other aircraft in the event

- N3588J, Cessna 150E: [Accident 20001126023592A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001126023592A)

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW01FA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01FA025), Nov 26, 2000: Cessna 172N (N6521D), Katy, TX, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the failure of both pilot's to maintain visual lookout during cruise flight. A contributory factor was the sun glare, which obscured the Cessna 150 pilot's visual lookout.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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