Beech BE-200 accident near Bay View, Texas, December 10, 2004
On December 10, 2004 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Beech BE-200, registered N648KA, was destroyed in an accident near Bay View, Texas (Rancho Buena Vista Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 6 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 directional control as result of his improper runway selection for takeoff. A contributing factor was the prevailing right quartering tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 10, 2004 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Bay View, Texas · Rancho Buena Vista Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-200
- Registration
- N648KA · no longer on the register · serial BB-648
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While attempting to depart from the 3,500-foot long grass airstrip with a 14 knot quartering tailwind, the 5,800-hour pilot reported that at an airspeed of approximately 95 knots, "the airplane yawed left and rolled left abruptly as the aircraft came off the ground briefly." The airplane settled back onto the ground, before again climbing back into the air approximately 20 degrees left of the runway heading. Subsequently, the airplane’s landing gear struck tree tops before it impacted the ground. A passenger added that he "noticed the flaps were up during takeoff." Approximately three minutes after the accident, a weather reporting station located 5.6 nautical miles southwest of the accident site reported wind from 010 degrees at 14 knots. Examination of the engines revealed rotational scoring throughout the first and second stage turbines. No mechanical anomalies were observed.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,800 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 5,050 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,532.5 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 1, 2004; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-41 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Port Isabell TX
- Destination: Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 3,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PIL, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.