What happened
On September 28, 2025, at approximately 12:12 central daylight time, a Cessna 340, registration N269WT, was destroyed in an accident near Klein, Texas. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight.
Shortly after departing David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH) in Houston, Texas, the pilot requested and was granted permission to return to the airport for landing. The tower controller directed the aircraft into right traffic for runway 35L. While the aircraft was approximately a half-mile from the runway on final approach, the controller lost sight of the plane and all communication was lost.
ADS-B data indicated that the aircraft was in right traffic at DWH and had overflew the extended centerline for runway 35L during the base leg before turning final. Prior to the accident, the aircraft was aligned with and descending toward runway 35L.
Eyewitness dashcam footage showed the aircraft in the traffic pattern with its landing gear extended. An airport hangar security camera captured the airplane performing a roughly 90-degree left bank just before impact. The left wing struck the terrain, resulting in an explosion and a post-impact fire. The aircraft came to rest on airport property approximately 650 feet south of the approach end of runway 35L. The accident resulted in 2 fatal injuries.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation. Investigators confirmed that the landing gear was extended and the flaps were fully retracted at the time of the impact.