DEPLOYDatabase

Incident · Regulatory action

NTSB preliminary report: Tesla Katy crash driver overrode FSD by pressing accelerator to 100%, vehicle exceeded 70 mph

The NTSB released preliminary findings on July 15, 2026 for the June 19 fatal Tesla Model 3 crash in Katy, Texas that killed 76-year-old Martha Avila. Electronic data recovered from the vehicle indicated the driver had engaged Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) but manually overrode it by pressing the accelerator pedal to 100%, with the vehicle traveling at greater than 70 mph when it crashed into a home.

The driver, 44-year-old Michael Butler, was previously charged with manslaughter. The NTSB noted all aspects remain under investigation and it plans to issue safety recommendations.

Occurred 2026-07-15 · Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) at Orlando, Florida, USA · Tesla · Orlando, Florida, USA · Robotaxis · Investigated by NTSB

How to read this record

Incident records on DEPLOY are compiled from public sources (regulatory filings, news reports, and operator disclosures) and reflect what has been reported and tracked to date. They are not legal findings, determinations of fault, or safety ratings, and may be updated as new information is verified. See the sources below for the underlying references.
Track NTSB preliminary report: Tesla Katy crash driver overrode FSD by pressing accelerator to 100%, vehicle exceeded 70 mph

Machine-readable surfaces

Sources (2)

  1. Houston Public Media · https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/transportation/2026/07/15/557180/tesla-fatal-crash-houston-ntsb-investigation/ · 2026-07-15
  2. NTSB · https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/HWY26FH014.aspx · 2026-07-15

Status history

  • Active · 2026-07-16 · agent:recon

Common questions

What happened in NTSB preliminary report: Tesla Katy crash driver overrode FSD by pressing accelerator to 100%, vehicle exceeded 70 mph?
The NTSB released preliminary findings on July 15, 2026 for the June 19 fatal Tesla Model 3 crash in Katy, Texas that killed 76-year-old Martha Avila. Electronic data recovered from the vehicle indicated the driver had engaged Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) but manually overrode it by pressing the accelerator pedal to 100%, with the vehicle traveling at greater than 70 mph when it crashed into a home. The driver, 44-year-old Michael Butler, was previously charged with manslaughter. The NTSB noted all aspects remain under investigation and it plans to issue safety recommendations.
When did this incident occur?
The incident is recorded as occurring on July 15, 2026 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.
What robot was involved in NTSB preliminary report: Tesla Katy crash driver overrode FSD by pressing accelerator to 100%, vehicle exceeded 70 mph?
Tesla Robotaxi (Model Y ADS) by Tesla is the recorded robot involved in this incident at Orlando, Florida, USA.
Has anyone responded to NTSB preliminary report: Tesla Katy crash driver overrode FSD by pressing accelerator to 100%, vehicle exceeded 70 mph?
No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.
What is the current status of NTSB preliminary report: Tesla Katy crash driver overrode FSD by pressing accelerator to 100%, vehicle exceeded 70 mph?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (1 primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-09

Verification posture

Verified

High confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-08-09

Sources by quality tier

1
unclassified
Unclassified source
1
primary-government-record
Government record

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for NTSB preliminary report: Tesla Katy crash driver overrode FSD by pressing accelerator to 100%, vehicle exceeded 70 mph.

Deploy Watch

Track this incident.

We notify you when the regulator updates the record, the remedy status changes, or a related incident surfaces.

Canonical ID 5b5943ed-8722-46c9-a6ec-a6ec07edf1b3