Beech C23 accident near Childress, Texas, December 26, 1982
On December 26, 1982 at about 7:52 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N9256S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Childress, Texas (Childress Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were 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
- December 26, 1982 · about 7:52 pm local time
- Place
- Childress, Texas · Childress Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N9256S · no longer on the register · serial M-1752
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FLIGHT, FREEZING RAIN WAS ENCOUNTERED WHICH BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE ON THE WINDSHIELD AND WINGS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE CHECKED AND FOUND THAT THE CLOUDS HAD CLOSED IN BEHIND. HE DIVERTED TO CHILDRESS, TX. WHILE EN ROUTE, ADDITIONAL ICE ACCUMULATED ON THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PILOT'S VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD BECAME OBSCURED. ON HIS FIRST APPROACH, HE HAD NO FORWARD VISIBILITY AND ELECTED TO GO AROUND. AFTER THE SECOND APPROACH, HE LANDED, BUT THE PLANE WENT OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY. IT CONTINUED INTO A MUDDY COTTON FIELD AND THE GEAR COLLAPSED.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 185 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 144 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,225 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Mcalester OK at 11:30 am
- Destination: Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from CDS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.