Investigators confirm Tesla driver accelerated fully, overriding FSD during fatal Texas crash.

A Tesla driver involved in a fatal crash that killed a woman after colliding with her home reportedly “manually overrode” the vehicle’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system by flooring the gas pedal, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Investigators analyzed the car’s electronic data and determined that the Tesla Model 3 was traveling at speeds exceeding 70 mph at the time of the incident.

In June, 44-year-old Michael Butler’s vehicle crashed into a residence in Katy, Texas, resulting in the death of 76-year-old Martha Avila. The NTSB noted that the home was situated on a two-lane road with a speed limit of 30 mph, and conditions were clear, dry, and daylight at the time of the accident.

These findings support a statement from Tesla’s AI lead, Ashok Elluswamy, who indicated that the driver “manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100%.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also looking into the crash.

Butler was arrested earlier this month and is facing charges of manslaughter. Following the crash, he reportedly told medical staff that he remembered “putting the car in self-driving mode” and that he “passed out,” as detailed in an arrest affidavit. The document also references data from Butler’s phone, which includes multiple Google searches related to FSD, such as “Tesla fsd not aggressive enough 2026 model,” “FSD is not aggressive enough for city driving,” and “tesla fsd too timid.”