Beech BE-65-A90 accident near Alice, Texas, August 12, 1997
On August 12, 1997 at about 4:53 pm local time, a Beech BE-65-A90, registered N41VC, was destroyed in an accident near Alice, Texas (Alice International airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of control due to the pilot's improper in-flight decision. A factor was the improper installation of the secondary low pitch stop system by the mechanic.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1997 · about 4:53 pm local time
- Place
- Alice, Texas · Alice International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-65-A90
- Registration
- N41VC · no longer on the register · serial LJ-242
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was part of a pre-buy inspection of the airplane. Witnesses reported the airplane did not climb more than 200 feet above ground level (agl) after takeoff. The airplane entered a shallow left turn and completed about 210 degrees of heading change before it impacted a flat field near the approach end of runway 26. Witnesses reported that the landing gear were retracted and that the engines sounded like they running at high power, but the airplane did not accelerate or climb normally. The airspeed was slow and 'mushy.' The engines' gas generator sections exhibited strong rotational scoring. The engines' power sections exhibited light rotational signatures. The left and right propellers exhibited minimal leading edge damage. Both propellers exhibited high blade angles. The secondary low pitch stops (SLPS) had been installed on the aircraft four days prior to the accident. A ground check, but no flight check, had been conducted. The SLPS sensors were found in the full aft position on the mounting bracket, not in the normal mid-range position. The SLPS control box installed on the aircraft was an updated box and was incompatible with the existing wiring.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,710 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,250 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 24, 1997; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,300 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6-A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: South Texas Aircraft, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ALI at 4:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from ALI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.