Beech H35 accident near Abilene, Texas, October 24, 1982
On October 24, 1982 at about 2:45 am local time, a Beech H35, registered N7937D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Abilene, Texas (Abilene Municiple airport). 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 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
- October 24, 1982 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Abilene, Texas · Abilene Municiple
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech H35 · all H35s on the register
- Registration
- N7937D · registry record · serial D5214
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE EXTENDED THE GEAR ABOUT 10 TO 15 MILES OUT TO HOLD DOWN THE SPEED AND DESCEND. BEFORE LANDING, HE NOTED THAT NONE OF HIS LIGHTS WERE WORKING AND HE WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ABILENE RADIO. REPORTEDLY, HE ASSUMED THE GEAR WAS DOWN BECAUSE HE FELT THE TRIM CHANGE. WHEN THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN DURING LANDING, ALL OF THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD BECOME COMPLACENT AFTER FLYING FOR 8 HRS.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,435 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,741 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continenatl IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Charles Brown/Texas Air Center
The flight
- Departed from: LBB Lubbock TX
- Destination: 9LA6 Alexandria LA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 11,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 136°F (58°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.