# NTSB FTW88FA114: Cessna 172P, N96957, Houston, TX, June 6, 1988 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Field investigation · Final report - Date: June 6, 1988, 18:10 local (23:10 UTC) - Place: Houston, TX - Location: 29.8182° N, 95.6726° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WEST HOUSTON (IWS), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.8182&lon=-95.6726&mi=10 - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 4 minor - Status: Completed, report September 29, 1989 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 22271 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW88FA114 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/22271/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW88FA114 ## Analysis (aircraft 2) MOONEY N231QB WAS INVOLVED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION WITH CESSNA N96957 WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE LANDING AT THE UNCONTROLLED WEST HOUSTON-LAKESIDE AIRPORT. THE MOONEY AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING ON A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH. THE PILOTS OF THE CESSNA AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE RECTANGULAR PATTERN PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. THE MOONEY WAS ABOVE AND OVERTAKING THE CESSNA. THE COLLISION OCCURRED WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE LANDING FLARES. THE MOONEY'S PROPELLER SEVERED THE EMPENNAGE OF THE CESSNA. THE CESSNA NOSED UP INTO AN INVERTED ATTITUDE AND STRUCK THE TAIL OF THE MOONEY BEFORE CRASHING ON THE RUNWAY. THE MOONEY MADE A SAFE LANDING. THE MOONEY SECOND PILOT STATED LATER THAT THE PILOT (MOONEY) WAS HIGH AND SLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FINAL PREVENTING THE SECOND PILOT FROM SEEING FORWARD AND DOWN. THE MOONEY PILOTS DID NOT NOTE THE ANNOUNCED POSITION OF THE CESSNA IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN OR A WARNING FROM ANOTHER PILOT THAT THERE WERE TWO ACFT LANDING ON THE ACTIVE RWY. ## Analysis (aircraft 1) CESSNA N96957 WAS INVOLVED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION WITH MOONEY N231QB WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE LANDING AT THE UNCONTROLLED WEST HOUSTON-LAKESIDE AIRPORT. THE PILOTS OF THE CESSNA AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE RECTANGULAR PATTERN PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. THE MOONEY AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING ON A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH AFTER AN INSTRUMENT TRAINING FLIGHT. THE MOONEY WAS ABOVE AND OVERTAKING THE CESSNA. THE COLLISION OCCURRED WHILE BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE LANDING FLARES. THE MOONEY'S PROPELLER SEVERED THE EMPENNAGE OF THE CESSNA. THE CESSNA NOSED UP INTO AN INVERTED ATTITUDE AND STRUCK THE TAIL OF THE MOONEY BEFORE CRASHING ON THE RUNWAY. THE MOONEY MADE A SAFE LANDING. THE MOONEY SECOND PILOT STATED LATER THAT THE PILOT (MOONEY) WAS HIGH AND SLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FINAL PREVENTING THE SECOND PILOT FROM SEEING FORWARD AND DOWN. THE MOONEY PILOTS DID NOT NOTE THE ANNOUNCED POSITION OF THE CESSNA IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN OR A WARNING FROM ANOTHER PILOT THAT THERE WERE TWO ACFT LNDG. ## Aircraft 1 - Registration: [N96957](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N96957-1989-03-15), registration cancelled 1989-03-15, S/N 17276138 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P - Registry model: [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (registry code 2072436) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 172761138 - Airframe hours: 2339 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320-D2J 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Roy Macneill, doing business as Woody Leskikar Aircrat Sales - Registered owner: William W. Voight - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 18, 1988, 50 hours before - Departed: IWS - Destination: IWS - Airport: IWS, West Houston-Lakeside, runway 15, 3,955 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Aircraft 2 - Registration: [N231QB](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N231QB), registered now, S/N 25-0237, built 1979 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOONEY M20K - Registry model: [Mooney M20K](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20k) (registry code 5870220) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (registry code 17019, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 250237 - Airframe hours: 1310 - Engines: CONTINENTAL TSIO-360-GB 210 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Ernest Wilson - Registered owner: Beamalloy, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 10, 1987, 82 hours before - Departed: IWS - Destination: IWS - Airport: IWS, West Houston-Lakeside, runway 15, 3,955 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot, aircraft N96957; age 33; airline transport, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 6,000 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 4,900 as pilot in command, 150 in the last 90 days, 50 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Pilot, aircraft N231QB; age 58; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: right; flight hours: 22,626 total, 19 in this make and model, 95 as pilot in command, 193 in the last 90 days, 72 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: DWH, 15 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (2) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19880606018412A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880606018412A), Jun 6, 1988: Cessna 172P, Houston, TX, Destroyed. Overtaken on landing. Tail was hit by N231QB causing aircraft to flip inverted over 231QB and crash upside down. - [Accident 19880606018411A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880606018411A), Jun 6, 1988: Mooney M20K, Houston, TX, Substantial damage. Overtook and struck the tail of N96957 both on landing flare. 96957 flipped inverted over 231QB,hit ground inverted 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.