- Date
- April 1, 2026, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX · Stopped in bottom of the ditch
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6569MCessna 182
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 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
- 20260401002909A
- Case key
- 202741
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 directional control of the airplane during landing in gusty wind conditions.
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
At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 15. The pilot stated that the reported wind was from 150° at 15 knots, gusting 20 knots, and during the landing flare, a wind gust caused the left wing to rise rapidly. The pilot attempted corrective control inputs; however, the right wing subsequently contacted the runway, resulting in a loss of directional control. The airplane veered to the right, departed the runway surface, and entered a ditch. The right wing and aileron sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6569M
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18263760
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 2,759.7
- Engine
- Continental Motors O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 13, 2026 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- LBX · Angleton, TX
- Destination
- IWS · Houston, TX
- Airport
- IWS · West Houston Airport, runway 15/33, 3,953 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather
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
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 26, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,328 total · 218 in this make and model · 1,144 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 16 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KSGR, 12 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KSGR 011753Z 18016G23KT 10SM BKN033 BKN042 BKN110 27/21 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP163 60043 T02720206 10283 20217 58002
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 14, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.5 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.