Beech 65-A90 accident near Marfa, Texas, January 30, 1993
On January 30, 1993 at about 1:40 am local time, a Beech 65-A90, registered N363N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marfa, Texas (Marfa Municipal airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 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'S CONTINUED DESCENT BELOW THE PROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS WERE THE DARK NIGHT, FOG, AND THE CREW'S POOR COORDINATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 1993 · about 1:40 am local time
- Place
- Marfa, Texas · Marfa Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A90 · all 65-A90s on the register
- Registration
- N363N · no longer on the register · serial LJ-236
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A DARK NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, THE AIRPLANE WAS CLEARED FOR A VOR APPROACH TO RUNWAY 30. DUE TO UNFAVORABLE WINDS, THE PILOT ELECTED TO CIRCLE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 12. WHILE ON A RIGHT DOWNWIND, VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY WAS LOST AND NOT REESTABLISHED. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE DESCENT ON THE BASE LEG AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,016 hours in all; 675 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,558 as pilot in command; 919 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,226 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 18, 1992; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,800 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HOU Houston TX at 11:25 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12, 5,303 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 050° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 1.2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:37 am from MRF, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.