- Date
- December 18, 1995, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ingleside, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N231RLBeech 200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951218041689A
- Case key
- 19728
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 improper decision, while evading law enforcement personnel during an illegal/unauthorized operation.
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
Officials using a U.S. Customs aircraft intercepted a stolen airplane as it was landing. The Customs aircraft landed and blocked the single 4,996 foot runway. While the pilots of the stolen plane were attempting to takeoff to evade the law enforcement personnel, the airplane impacted a fence, crossed a ditch, and came to rest in a swamp. Two occupants of the stolen airplane were seen running from the plane.
Factual narrative
On December 18, 1995, at 1730 central standard time, a Beech B200, N231RL, was substantially damaged, during takeoff near Ingleside, Texas. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was owned by R.A. Beeler Leasing Company, of Carrizo Springs, Texas, and operated by Western Airways Inc., of Houston, Texas. The airplane was stolen from the West Houston Airport at 1600. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
According to U.S. Customs officials, the operator's chief mechanic reported the aircraft stolen as soon as the airplane was broken into by the two occupants. A U.S. Customs airplane was vectored to intercept the stolen airplane. The owner of the airplane reported there was approximately 800 pounds of fuel aboard at the time the airplane was stolen.
The airplane was intercepted as it was landing at the T.P. McCampbell Airport, near Ingleside, Texas. The Customs aircraft landed and blocked the single 4,996 foot runway. While attempting to takeoff to evade law enforcement personnel, the airplane impacted a fence, crossed a ditch, and came to rest in a swamp.
The two occupants of the airplane jumped out and ran. The pilot's son was captured, but the pilot was not apprehended. The following items were found in the airplane: bolt cutters, 2 masks, loaded weapons, the pilot's wallet, and charts and maps indicating that the planned destination of the flight was near Cartagena, Colombia.
The nose landing gear collapsed, the left wing sustained structural damage, and the pressure bulkhead was punctured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231RL
- Reported as
- Beech 200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BB-868
- Engine
- P&W PT6A, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- R.A. Beeler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- IWS · West Houston, TX
- Destination
- KCTG · Cartagena, OF
- Airport
- T43 · T.P. Campbell, runway 31, 4,996 × 75 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.