Beech A36 incident near Dfw Airport, Texas, March 13, 1985
On March 13, 1985 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N2057A, was involved in an incident near Dfw Airport, Texas (Dfw Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 1985 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Dfw Airport, Texas · Dfw Airport
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N2057A · registry record · serial E1420
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARR, A BEECH A36, N2057A, WAS VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 17L APCH WHILE A HVY BOEING 747 WAS BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 18R APCH. THE ATC ARRIVAL CONTROLLER (CTLR) STATED HE HAD 'STAGGERED' THE A36 BHND THE 747 WITH AT LEAST 3 MI SEPN. AFTER THE A36 WAS INBND ON THE ILS LOCALIZER (LOC), IT ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURBC FROM THE 747, BUT THE PLT RECOVERED & LNDDSAFELY. INV REVEALED THAT AS THE 747 WAS APCHG THE ILS 18R LOC FM THE WEST, ITS CREW WAS TOLD TO MAKE A 'HARD RGT TURN' TO JOIN THE LOC. DRG THE TURN, THE 747 DSCNDD FM 5700' TO 4100', THEN CONTD DSCNDG TO 3000' WHILE INBND ON THE APCH. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT THE CTLR HAD DELAYED THE 747'S VECTOR TO THE 18R LOC & THAT THE 747 OVERSHOT ITS LOC & CONVERGED TO WITHIN 600' OF THE 17L LOC. AS THE A36 TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE 17L LOC, IT HAD AN INTERVAL OF APRX 90 SEC BEHIND THE 747. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE WING TIP VORTICES FM THE 747 HAD SETTLED AT A RATE OF 400 TO 600 FT/MIN & DRIFTED TWD THE A36'S FLT PATH. PROCEDURES REQD 5 MI SEPN WHEN A SMALL ACFT WAS FLWG DIRECTLY BHND & WITHIN 1000' BLO A HVY JET.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-AB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAS Jasper TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17L, 11,388 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from DFW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW85IA149.