Cessna 340 accident near Benavides, Texas, December 17, 1982
On December 17, 1982, a Cessna 340, registered N5906M, was destroyed in an accident near Benavides, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1982
- Place
- Benavides, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340 · all 340s on the register
- Registration
- N5906M · no longer on the register · serial 340-0064
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A DEER HUNTER SAW THE AIRCRAFT ON A FINAL APPROACH TO AN OPEN FIELD AT DUSK, WITH THE GEAR AND FLAPS DOWN. HE STATED THAT WHEN IT WAS AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL, THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN AND THE PLANE STRUCK THE GROUND AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH AN ESTIMATED 600 LBS OF MARIJUANA, MOST OF WHICH WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE. A HIGH ALTITUDE NAVIGATIONAL CHART WAS FOUND NEAR THE WRECKAGE. THE CHART CONTAINED A LINE BETWEEN TWO NAVIGATIONAL POINTS (ONE IN MEXICO & ONE IN THE UNITED STATES). THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN STOLEN.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 579 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,975 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Guadalajara
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 151°F (66°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from ALI, 20 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.