Piper PA-32R-301 accident near Beaumont, Texas, January 3, 2004
On January 3, 2004, a Piper PA-32R-301, registered N396HP, was destroyed in an accident near Beaumont, Texas (Beaumont Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to maintain clearance with a static line. Contributing factors were the low cloud ceiling weather conditions and night light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 2004
- Place
- Beaumont, Texas · Beaumont Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301 · all PA-32R-301s on the register
- Registration
- N396HP · no longer on the register · serial 3246030
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a night instrument approach, the 13,350-hour flight instructor reported the runway in sight, and cancelled instrument flight rules clearance. Subsequently, the airplane struck a shielded static wire above high voltage transmission lines approximately 52-63 feet in height, before impacting terrain and coming to rest approximately 0.6 nautical miles north of the runway. Air Route Traffic Control had previously reported weather at another airport approximately 13 miles away to be 100 feet overcast with one mile visibility. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane or engine during the course of the investigation.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,350 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 150 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 914.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 3,615 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BMT Beaumont TX at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; ovct at 100 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.