Beech V35B accident near Temple, Texas, January 18, 1988
On January 18, 1988 at about 2:52 pm local time, a Beech V35B, registered N3804X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Temple, Texas (Draughon Miller Muni airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FAILED TO EXECUTE A MISSED APPROACH WHEN HE DESCENDED THROUGH DECISION HEIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 1988 · about 2:52 pm local time
- Place
- Temple, Texas · Draughon Miller Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3804X · no longer on the register · serial D-10358
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE EN ROUTE TO AUSTIN, TX, THE PLT CHANGED HIS DESTN TO TEMPLE, TX, DUE TO DETERIORATING WX AT AUSTIN. HOWEVER, THE WX AT TEMPLE WAS ALSO DETERIORATING. WHILE DESCENDING TOWARD TEMPLE, HE WAS ADVISED OF A SPL WX OBSERVATION WHICH RPRTD INDEFINITE CEILING 200', SKY OBSCURED, VIS 1/16 MI WITH FOG, WIND FROM 150 DEG AT 7 KTS. THE PLT ELECTED TO FLY AN ILS RWY 15 APCH WHICH HAD MINIMUMS OF 200' CEILING & 1/2 MI VIS. AT 0847 CST, AS THE PLT WAS BEGINNING THE APCH, ANOTHER WX OBSERVATION WAS TAKEN. IT RPRTD AN INDEFINITE CEILING OF 100', VIS 1/16 MI WITH FOG. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE FLT WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE MISSED APCH WAS INITIATED, THEN WAS 'SLOW ON GO, HIT TAIL ON PITCH UP.' AT THAT TIME, THE ACFT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN ABOUT 120' SHORT OF THE RWY, DAMAGING THE TAIL CONE & AFT FUSELAGE, BUT THE ACFT CONTD FLYING. THE PLT THEN DIVERTED & LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AT BROWNWOOD, TX, WHERE VFR CONDS PREVAILED.
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: 17,410 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 16,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 680 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1987; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 21XS Big Spring TX at 1:00 pm
- Destination: TPL Temple TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 15, 6,301 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from TPL
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.
Other NTSB records under N3804X 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.