Beech 36 accident near San Benito, Texas, August 16, 2020
On August 16, 2020 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1995 Beech 36, registered N3256V, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near San Benito, Texas (Kornegay Private 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
A loss of engine power for a reason that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2020 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 2020
- Place
- San Benito, Texas · Kornegay Private · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 36 A36, built 1995 · all 36s on the register
- Registration
- N3256V · no longer on the register · serial E-2956
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff from his private airstrip, the airplane’s engine lost partial power. He activated the electric fuel pump at which time the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted to return to his private airport but landed short with the landing gear retracted in a cotton field. The airplane's forward fuselage was substantially damaged. Examination of the airplane after the accident did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would explain the loss of engine power.
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 takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 29,048 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 425 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: July 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,912 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B1F (piston); 1,158 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 53XS San Benito TX
- Destination: HRL Harlingen TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from HRL, 6 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 May 10, 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 | Summary of Engine/airframe Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Information | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3256V: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Beechcraft 36 Bonanza 111 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B1F 3,077 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Kornegay Private Airport · nearest airport
- Valley International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,065 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,945 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN20LA346.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.