Beech 24 accident near Livingston, Texas, June 13, 2020
On June 13, 2020 at about 11:25 pm local time, a 1970 Beech 24, registered N444JR, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Livingston, Texas (Livingston Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to the failure of the No. 3 cylinder for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2020 · about 11:25 pm local time
- Place
- Livingston, Texas · Livingston Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 24 A24R, built 1970
- Registration
- N444JR · no longer on the register · serial MC-51
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger departed on a cross-country flight en route to their home airport. While flying at 7,500 ft mean sea level, the engine began to violently shake, vibrate, and then lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing to a nearby airport; however, the airplane impacted trees and terrain short of the runway. The airplane came to rest upright in a field about 300 yards short of the runway. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 3 cylinder had separated from the engine crankcase. The cylinder, piston, and fractured connecting rod remained within the engine cowling. A review of the maintenance records revealed no recent history of major engine maintenance. Several weeks after the accident, the airplane was recovered by unknown personnel to an unknown location. Examination of the engine to determine the failure of the No. 3 cylinder was not possible.
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 defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 146 hours in all; 146 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 97 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 15, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,555.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 22, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 3,652 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X09 Fulshear TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,704 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from 6R3, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on February 11, 2022. 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 | Record of Conversations - Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Aircraft Accident Form Request | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversations FAA Inspector | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpt of Maintenance Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | 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.