Beech M-35 accident near Valley View, Texas, January 17, 1986
On January 17, 1986 at about 4:54 pm local time, a Beech M-35, registered N7BU, was destroyed in an accident near Valley View, Texas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 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
- January 17, 1986 · about 4:54 pm local time
- Place
- Valley View, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech M-35 · all M-35s on the register
- Registration
- N7BU · no longer on the register · serial D-6472
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PVT PLT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING THAT CALLED FOR MARGINAL VFR TO IFR CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT HIS ROUTE OF FLT. DESTINATION WX WAS BRIEFED AS 700' OVC, VIS 2 MILES IN HAZE AND FOG AND THE EN ROUTE WX WAS CONSIDERABLY WORSE. SEVERAL WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT FLYING IN AND OUT OF THE FOG AND LOW CEILING. AT ONE POINT, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING DOWN AN INTERSTATE HWY. THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A 42 DEG NOSE DOWN, 46 DEG RIGHT BANK ATTITUDE, AT HIGH SPEED. A WITNESS WHO OBSERVED THE IMPACT ESTIMATED THE WX AS 200' CEILING, 1/2 MILE VISIBILITY WITH FOG. A REVIEW OF THE PLTS LOGS REVEALED THAT HE HAD LOGGED 1 HOUR OF SIMULATED INSTRUMENT TIME SINCE HE BEGAN INSTRUCTION. INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF INFLIGHT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF AIRFRAME, ENG OR ACFT SYSTEMS.
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: 243 hours in all; 211 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 181 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 25, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 1F9 Bridgeport TX at 4:30 pm
- Destination: F39 Sherman TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded at 700 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:47 pm from F39, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.