Beech B35 accident near La Casa, Texas, January 2, 2026
On January 2, 2026 at about 10:40 pm local time, a 1950 Beech B35, registered N5174C, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near La Casa, Texas (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during initial climb after takeoff, leading to an aerodynamic stall and impact with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 2026 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- La Casa, Texas · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B35, built 1950 · all B35s on the register
- Registration
- N5174C · registry record · serial D-2585
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a telephone interview, the pilot reported that he was taking off from a private dirt strip when the accident happened. He said that he was departing to the south and the takeoff was normal until the airplane was above the level of the treetops that bordered the airstrip. Once the airplane reached that altitude, it stopped accelerating and drifted left, the left wing dropped, and the airplane descended into the trees. The pilot stated that he believed he experienced windshear with the wind changing from a quartering headwind to a quartering tailwind after clearing the trees. When asked, the pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The nearest aviation weather reporting station was located at the Stephens County Airport (BKD), Breckenridge, Texas, about 13 nautical miles northwest of the accident and reported wind from 280° at 7 knots about the time of the accident.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 47.5 in this make and model; 5.5 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 17, 2,200 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.68 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from KBKD, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KBKD 022235Z AUTO 28007KT CLR 27/05 A2968 RMK AO2 T02680049
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 30, 2026. 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 Conversation with Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN26LA077.