- Date
- May 7, 1995, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N18413Beech F33A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 23, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950507010829A
- Case key
- 19411
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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions. A factor was the crosswind.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While flaring for a crosswind landing, the pilot allowed the airplane to drift left off the runway. Full power was added to go around, but the left wing tip contacted the ground and the airplane impacted terrain 90 degrees to the runway. Wind from 170 degrees varying in speed from 13 to 20 knots was reported at 1150 CDT at hobby airport 15 miles northeast. The pilot reported wind was from 160 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 20. The maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane was 17 knots.
Factual narrative
On May 7, 1995, at 1200 central daylight time, a Beech F33A, N18413, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing near Houston, Texas. The private pilot and his three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight from Batesville, Texas.
The pilot reported that, while he was flaring the airplane for landing on runway 09 at Houston Southwest Airport (AXH), he noticed he was drifting toward the left side of the runway. He further stated that full power was applied in an attempt to go around; however, the left wing tip contacted the ground. The airplane impacted at a 90 degree angle to the runway and slid through a grassy area and across a taxiway before coming to rest.
Damage included separation of the nose landing gear and deformation of the engine support beam and firewall.
At 1150 central daylight time, William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) located 15 miles to the northeast was reporting wind from 170 degrees varying in speed from 13 to 20 knots. Pilot reported wind was from 160 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 20. According to the manufacturer, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for a Beech F33A is 17 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N18413
- Reported as
- Beech F33A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE-736
- Airframe hours
- 1,400
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David G. Todd
- Registered owner
- Cambe Geological Services, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 31, 1995 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Batesville, TX
- Destination
- AXH
- Airport
- AXH · Houston Southwest, runway 9, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 250 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.