Beech BE-58 accident near Groveton, Texas, August 20, 2004
On August 20, 2004 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Beech BE-58, registered N8140R, was destroyed in an accident near Groveton, Texas. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's intentional ground loop to avoid colliding with deer that entered the runway during the landing roll. A contributing factor was the tall grass adjacent to the runway that prevented detection of the deer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2004 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Groveton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-58
- Registration
- N8140R · no longer on the register · serial TH-505
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 4,940-hour commercial pilot entered the traffic pattern for runway 16 ( 3,500-foot long and 60-foot wide asphalt runway), and did not observe any obstructions on the runway as he crossed over the threshold at an airspeed of approximately 100 knots. When the twin-engine airplane touched down, the pilot spotted three deer on the left side of the runway approximately 200 yards in front of him, and he applied "light right rudder to avoid contact." The deer continued to cross the runway from left to right, directly in front of the airplane's roll-out path, and the pilot applied "heavy left rudder and brake, and light right brake to slow and pull the aircraft to the left." Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, and impacted trees in a small ravine located about 60-feet from the edge of the runway. The pilot also reported the deer were hiding in the 3-foot tall grass located along both sides of the runway. The pilot added that after he exited the airplane he walked approximately 1/4-mile to the main ramp for assistance. Upon returning to the airplane, he observed a small fire that gradually intensified and consumed the airplane. A review of published airport information revealed there was a remark that stated deer were on and in the vicinity of the airport. The pilot stated that the airport was not fenced.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,940 hours in all; 546 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TSO7 Dry Creek TX
- Destination: 33R Groveton TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from llfk
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.