Beech BE-76 accident near Gainsville, Texas, July 8, 1990
On July 8, 1990 at about 5:10 am local time, a Beech BE-76, registered N2008A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gainsville, Texas (Gainesville Muni airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO INADEQUATE PLANNING BY THE PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1990 · about 5:10 am local time
- Place
- Gainsville, Texas · Gainesville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-76
- Registration
- N2008A · registry record · serial ME-67
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT EXECUTED A GEAR DOWN FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD FOLLOWING A DUAL ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ABOUT 1/2 MILE SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD OF THE RUNWAY AT THE AIRPORT TO WHICH THE PIC HAD ELECTED TO DIVERT DUE TO A LOW FUEL STATE. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED A TOTAL OF 2 GALLONS PRESENT IN THE FUEL SYSTEM WHICH CARRIED 103 GAL., OF WHICH 100 WERE USABLE. CALCULATIONS MADE USING THE OUTBOUND FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES INDICATED A FUEL BURN OF 98.8 GAL. UP TO THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURES. DURING THE RETURN LEG, THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED HEAD WINGS WHICH ADDED 1 HR. TO THE FLIGHT TIME. HOWEVER, THE PIC STATED THAT HE DID NOT BECOME AWARE OF THE ADVERSE WINDS UNTIL LATE IN THE FLIGHT. AT THAT TIME THE DECISION TO DIVERT WAS MADE.
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: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 194 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 129 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 78 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,542 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 29, 1990
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1G6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CIN Carroll IA
- Destination: ADS Addison TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 am from DFW, 15 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.