Beech 95-C55 accident near Point Lookout, Missouri, May 10, 2003
On May 10, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech 95-C55, registered N541U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Point Lookout, Missouri (M Graham Clark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft. Contributing factors were the sudden windshift to a tailwind, the wet runway surface, the lack of available runway overrun area and the rocky, descending embankment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Point Lookout, Missouri · M Graham Clark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-C55 · all 95-C55s on the register
- Registration
- N541U · no longer on the register · serial TE-334
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft was substantially damaged when it overran the runway after landing and slid down an embankment. The pilot reported he executed an instrument approach to the destination airport. Upon arrival he noted that it had been raining and the runway was wet. He stated that the wind conditions were gusty and the prevailing wind direction reversed to a tailwind as the aircraft touched down. He applied maximum braking, however, "the plane began to hydroplane," according to the pilot. An on-scene inspection determined that the aircraft came to rest off the end of the runway. Approximately 15 feet from the end of the pavement was an embankment, with a drop-off of approximately 75 feet at a slope of approximately 45 degrees (downhill). No skid marks were observed in the area of the departure end of the runway. The pilot reported conditions at the time of the accident as wind from 180 degrees magnetic at 20 knots, gusting to 25 knots. He noted moderate turbulence and no precipitation at the time. Performance data provided by the aircraft manufacturer specified a required landing distance of approximately 1,750 feet at a landing weight of 5,000 lbs. and a 10 knot tailwind. This data is applicable to a dry, paved, level surface, according to the chart. The pilot reported no malfunctions of the aircraft or engines prior to 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,606 hours in all; 3,044 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 6,606 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 25, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HOT Hot Springs AR at 9:00 pm
- Destination: PLK Point Lookout MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 3,739 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 1.8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,600 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.68 inHg
- Observation at 10:08 pm from HRO, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.