What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A 1974 Cessna 185 amphibian with registration c-gozj, crashed approximately 300 yards from the end of runway 32 at the Conroe/ north Houston airport in Conroe Texas, on September 21, 2019 at 18:27 local time. The aircraft was departing runway 14 and approximately three quarters of the way down the runway during climb out, a witness stated the aircraft engine powered down then powered back up. Next, he heard the aircraft radio to the controller, "we have a fuel problem, we're going to return to the airport"the air traffic controller cleared the Cessna for any runway. The controller observed the aircraft in a left bank. The aircraft continued in the left bank until the nose pitched down and the aircraft hit the ground.
The accident site indicated the elements of a stall spin. During the recovery, one of the propeller blades was positioned at the 12 oclock. The other two propeller blades were at the four and eight oclock position, bent aft under the engine. This propeller condition exhibited an engine that was no longer producing power.
Events leading up to the accident: the aircraft, stationed at the fixed base operator (FBO) on the Conroe/ north Houston airport for approximately one year, exposed to the weather.
On September 19, 2019, two days prior to the accident, tropical storm imelda produced torrential rain in the Conroe Texas area for about 24 hours, causing a flash flood at the airport. This event may have possibly introduced water contamination into the fuel system, via fuel filler caps.
One of the pilots was observed walking around the aircraft prior to the flight. A witness stated it look as if the pilot was performing a preflight. It is unknown if the pilot(s) took fuel samples.
Fuel analysis post-crash: the pilots (left) side tank seemed to be empty. The passenger or co-pilots side (right) fuel tank appeared the have a small amount of fuel in the tank. The fuel samples taken from the aircraft tested negative for water. The fuel tank selector lever pointed to both on the fuel tank selection panel. This position allowed the aircraft engine to be gravity fed from both left and right tanks.
The national transportation safety board (NTSB) investigators drained both fuel wing tanks. The right side had approximately 22 gallons of fuel. The pilots side had about 1 gallon with approximately 6 ounces of water.
Final analysis: the aircraft engine lost power during climb out. The probable cause possible fuel contamination or starvation. The pilot attempted to turn back toward the airport and stalled the aircraft. The aircraft crashed approximately 300 to 400 yards from the end of runway 32 with the nose of the aircraft pointed back toward the runway.
This information is based on current available facts. The report will be updated if new facts are discovered from the NTSB or medical evaluation.
As the FAA filed it
A 1974 CESSNA 185 AMPHIBIAN WITH REGISTRATION C-GOZJ, CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 32 AT THE CONROE/ NORTH HOUSTON AIRPORT IN CONROE TEXAS, ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2019 AT 18:27 LOCAL TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEPARTING RUNWAY 14 AND APPROXIMATELY THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY DURING CLIMB OUT, A WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE POWERED DOWN THEN POWERED BACK UP. NEXT, HE HEARD THE AIRCRAFT RADIO TO THE CONTROLLER, "WE HAVE A FUEL PROBLEM, WE'RE GOING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT"THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER CLEARED THE CESSNA FOR ANY RUNWAY. THE CONTROLLER OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A LEFT BANK. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN THE LEFT BANK UNTIL THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND.
THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATED THE ELEMENTS OF A STALL SPIN. DURING THE RECOVERY, ONE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES WAS POSITIONED AT THE 12 OCLOCK. THE OTHER TWO PROPELLER BLADES WERE AT THE FOUR AND EIGHT OCLOCK POSITION, BENT AFT UNDER THE ENGINE. THIS PROPELLER CONDITION EXHIBITED AN ENGINE THAT WAS NO LONGER PRODUCING POWER.
EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE ACCIDENT: THE AIRCRAFT, STATIONED AT THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR (FBO) ON THE CONROE/ NORTH HOUSTON AIRPORT FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR, EXPOSED TO THE WEATHER.
ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2019, TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, TROPICAL STORM IMELDA PRODUCED TORRENTIAL RAIN IN THE CONROE TEXAS AREA FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS, CAUSING A FLASH FLOOD AT THE AIRPORT. THIS EVENT MAY HAVE POSSIBLY INTRODUCED WATER CONTAMINATION INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM, VIA FUEL FILLER CAPS.
ONE OF THE PILOTS WAS OBSERVED WALKING AROUND THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. A WITNESS STATED IT LOOK AS IF THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING A PREFLIGHT. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE PILOT(S) TOOK FUEL SAMPLES.
FUEL ANALYSIS POST-CRASH: THE PILOTS (LEFT) SIDE TANK SEEMED TO BE EMPTY. THE PASSENGER OR CO-PILOTS SIDE (RIGHT) FUEL TANK APPEARED THE HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANK. THE FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE AIRCRAFT TESTED NEGATIVE FOR WATER. THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR LEVER POINTED TO BOTH ON THE FUEL TANK SELECTION PANEL. THIS POSITION ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE TO BE GRAVITY FED FROM BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT TANKS.
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATORS DRAINED BOTH FUEL WING TANKS. THE RIGHT SIDE HAD APPROXIMATELY 22 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE PILOTS SIDE HAD ABOUT 1 GALLON WITH APPROXIMATELY 6 OUNCES OF WATER.
FINAL ANALYSIS: THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE LOST POWER DURING CLIMB OUT. THE PROBABLE CAUSE POSSIBLE FUEL CONTAMINATION OR STARVATION. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT AND STALLED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 300 TO 400 YARDS FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 32 WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT POINTED BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY.
THIS INFORMATION IS BASED ON CURRENT AVAILABLE FACTS. THE REPORT WILL BE UPDATED IF NEW FACTS ARE DISCOVERED FROM THE NTSB OR MEDICAL EVALUATION.