Beech 95-B55 (T42A) accident near College Station, Texas, November 10, 2011
On November 10, 2011 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Beech 95-B55 (T42A), registered N8188R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near College Station, Texas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power from both engines, which resulted from fuel exhaustion due to the pilot’s inadequate pre-flight preparation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2011 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- College Station, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55 (T42A) · all 95-B55 (T42A)s on the register
- Registration
- N8188R · registry record · serial TC-1761
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after 2.25 hours of cross country flight, the left engine lost power and began to surge. The pilot contacted air traffic control, declared an emergency, and asked the controller for vectors to the nearest airport. During the descent toward an abandoned airport, the left engine continued to surge, and the pilot adjusted the mixture controls to full rich on both engines, turned on the fuel boost pumps, checked the magnetos, and checked the fuel valves. As the airplane descended through 3,000 feet mean sea level, the right engine surged and lost power. The pilot assessed that he could not make it to the airport and decided to land on a farm road. While turning from base leg to final approach for the road, the pilot lowered the landing gear and assessed that he would not be able to reach the road. Subsequently, the airplane hit the tops of trees about 50 feet from the road and descended to the ground with the main landing gear touching down first. As the nose landing gear touched the ground, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the front of the fuselage and the rudder. Emergency responders to the accident scene reported that they did not see or smell the presence of fuel around the wreckage. An FAA inspector who responded to the accident site did not find evidence of fuel in the wreckage or the surrounding area. After the accident, the pilot initially said that he ran out of fuel and that he was not certain of the amount of fuel that was in the airplane when he departed on the flight. Later, the pilot reported that, based on a visual inspection, he estimated he had about 136 gallons of fuel on board prior to commencing the flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,352 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command; 1,329 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 4, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,953 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: South Delta Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: HEE West Helena AR at 12:30 pm
- Destination: SAT San Antonio TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.