Beech 58 accident near Santa Fe, Texas, July 12, 1986
On July 12, 1986 at about 11:49 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N61442, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Fe, Texas. It was an instructional 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
- July 12, 1986 · about 11:49 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Fe, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N61442 · no longer on the register · serial TH-1314
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PVT PLT & INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WERE ON A LCL FLT WITH A 3RD OCCUPANT ABOARD. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO PROVIDE DUAL INSTRUCTION TO THE PVT PLT SO HE COULD OBTAIN A MULTI-ENG RATING. AT 1818, 1 OF THE PLTS CONTACTED HOUSTON TRACON & REQDRADAR ADZY & SAID THEY INTENDED TO DO SOME AIR WORK IN THE AREA. THE LAST TRANSMISSION WITH THE ACFT WAS AT 1847 WHEN THE CTLR ADZD THEY WERE CLR OF OTR TRAFFIC. APRX 4 MIN LATER, RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. THE ACFT WAS FND WHERE IT HAD IMPACTED THE GND IN A RELATIVELY FLAT, WINGS LVL ATTITUDE. AN INV REVEALED EVIDENCE THE ACFT WAS SPINNING LEFT WHEN IT CRASHED. RADAR DATA SHOWED EVIDENCE THAT THE PLTS HAD MADE A SERIES OF STALLS JUST BFR THE ACFT ENTERED A RAPID DSCNT FMAPRX 7800' (DENSITY ALT APRX 10,250'). FOR THE ACFT'S WT & CONFIGURATION, STALL SPEED (VS) WAS DETERMINED TO BE 81 KTS. THE PUBLISHED MIN CTL SPEED (SEA LVL CONDS) WAS 81 KTS & THE INTENTIONAL 1 ENG INOP SPEED (VSSE) WAS 86 KTS.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,407 hours in all; 252 in this make and model; 102 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 4,407 as pilot in command; 2,119 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 889 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 1986; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-CB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Enterprise Aviation, CO.
The flight
- Departed from: HOU Houston TX at 11:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from GLS, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N61442 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.