- Date
- January 30, 2026, 19:51 local (Jan 31, 2026, 01:51 UTC)
- Place
- Pflugerville, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N441ECCessna 441
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260130003509A
- Case key
- 202374
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during a rejected takeoff due to a flat nose wheel tire which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was pilot fatigue which delayed the rejected takeoff.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during takeoff there was a noticeable vibration from the nose landing gear, and the pilot attempted to reject the takeoff. Subsequently, the airplane departed the departure end of the runway surface, continued down an embankment, struck a fence, and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that the nose landing gear vibration was from a flat tire, and he experienced fatigue from a long duty day which resulted in a delayed response to perform a rejected takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N441EC
- Reported as
- Cessna 441
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 441-0179
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 7,500
- Engines
- Garrett TPE331-10-403S, 636 horsepower, turbo propGarrett TPE331-10-403S, 636 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Cowboy Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Cowboy Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 30, 2025
- Destination
- GUY · Guymon, OK
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- EDC · Austin Execuitve, runway 31, 6,025 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 10, 2024
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 16,681 total · 15,577 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 350° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KEDC
- METAR
- METAR KEDC 300135Z AUTO 35016KT 10SM CLR 15/00 A3010 RMK AO2=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 21, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.