Raytheon A36 accident near San Marcos, Texas, November 20, 2019
On November 20, 2019 at about 12:00 pm local time, a 1999 Raytheon A36, registered N88855, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near San Marcos, Texas (San Marcos airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of control shortly after takeoff in instrument meteorological conditions for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 2019 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- San Marcos, Texas · San Marcos · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon A36, built 1999
- Registration
- N88855 · no longer on the register · serial E-3239
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot filed an instrument flight rules flight plan for the cross-country flight and received a departure clearance. A witness reported seeing the accident airplane taxi by his hangar before it departed and noted that the visibility at the time was less than the 1/4-mile reported by the airport’s weather observation facility. The airplane departed and was seen on radar before contact was lost shortly thereafter; the pilot never established radio communication with air traffic control. The airplane impacted terrain in a near-vertical attitude about 1/2-mile from the departure runway. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Low instrument flight rules conditions prevailed in the area of the departure airport, including a cloud ceiling of about 300 ft above ground level. The airplane’s sudden descent and near-vertical impact attitude are consistent with a loss of control shortly after takeoff; however, due to a lack of onboard data and complete radar data for the flight, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined based on the available information.
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 control in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
- Unknown or undetermined during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low visibility › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 605 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,086.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 28, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,651 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Caroline Aviation Llc
The flight
- Departed from: KHYI San Marcos TX at 5:56 pm
- Destination: KODO Odessa TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 6,330 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 am from KHYI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
15 documents, released by the NTSB on August 5, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Location | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Study Report | PDF, 24 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Attachment 1 | GIF file | Download |
| 4 | Weather Attachment 2 | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Attachment 3 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Weather Attachment 4 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Weather Attachment 5 | PDF, 463 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Engine Data Monitor - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Attachment 1 to Engine Data Monitor - Specialist's Factual Report | data file | Download |
| 10 | Witness Statements | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Maintenance Records (Excerpts) | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 14 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 15 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.