Beech 200 accident near Del Rio, Texas, November 22, 2022
On November 22, 2022 at about 6:48 pm local time, a 1979 Beech 200, registered N968T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Del Rio, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane that resulted in an uncontrolled descent and overstress of the airframe during his recovery of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 2022 · about 6:48 pm local time
- Place
- Del Rio, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 200, built 1979 · all 200s on the register
- Registration
- N968T · no longer on the register · serial BB-570
- 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 he was conducting a non-commercial personal flight when during the climb and passing through 4,000 ft, the airplane experienced wind shear causing the airplane to lose 1,500 ft. of altitude. The pilot recovered the airplane from the altitude loss, continued to the destination airport, and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, which were deformed upwards. The right front seat passenger reported that he was charged money for the flight, which was transportation to and from a fishing lodge. He reported that the airplane was in the clouds at the time it lost control and that as the airplane came out of the clouds, the pilot was pulling away from the ground, and was “pulling hard.” The pilot then got the airplane “upright.” The airplane was heading “almost directly” and “straight” at the ground before it was recovered. The passenger then asked the pilot what happened after the airplane was leveled off, and the pilot told him that he thought the autopilot had failed. The passenger reported the autopilot was not on, and it “seemed” that the pilot was not “paying attention to the instruments.” There were no warning tones or audible annunciations when the loss of control occurred. The passenger reported that they had just “barely taken off,” and did not feel any turbulence prior to the loss of control. He further added that “there was nothing before they got out of the clouds.” Pilot reports over the region mainly reported low overcast cloud cover, with no reports of significant turbulence or low-level wind shear. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,274 hours in all; 478 in this make and model; 78 in the last 90 days; 32.4 in the last 30 days; 6,381 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 22, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,723.3 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 17, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt&Whitney PT6A-41 (turboprop); 13,137 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt&Whitney PT6A-41 (turboprop); 13,147 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DRT Del Rio TX at 6:45 pm
- Destination: DTO Denton TX
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; clear at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from DRT, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on March 15, 2023. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Conversation - Passenger | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | ADS-B Data for Flight from Mexico | map file | Download |
| 4 | ADS-B Data for Accident Flight | map file | Download |
| 5 | Reel Mexican Adventures Private Flight Information | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Private Flight Fee | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photo Log | PDF, 2 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.
