- Date
- January 17, 1986, 10:54 local (16:54 UTC)
- Place
- Valley View, TX
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7BUBeech M-35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860117000829A
- Case key
- 21887
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The non-instrument rated pvt plt received a wx briefing that called for marginal VFR to IFR conditions throughout his route of flt. Destination wx was briefed as 700' ovc, vis 2 miles in haze and fog and the en route wx was considerably worse. Several witnesses observed the acft flying in and out of the fog and low ceiling. At one point, the acft was observed flying down an interstate hwy. the acft impacted the ground in a 42 deg nose down, 46 deg right bank attitude, at high speed. A witness who observed the impact estimated the wx as 200' ceiling, 1/2 mile visibility with fog. A review of the plts logs revealed that he had logged 1 hour of simulated instrument time since he began instruction. Investigation revealed no evidence of inflight failure or malfunction of airframe, eng or acft systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7BU
- Reported as
- Beech M-35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-6472
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-C, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bill Usher
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 25, 1985
- Departed
- 1F9 · Bridgeport, TX
- Destination
- F39 · Sherman, TX
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 243 total · 211 in this make and model · 181 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- F39, 27 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.