Beech V35 accident near Village Mills, Texas, December 5, 1994
On December 5, 1994 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech V35, registered N4855J, was destroyed in an accident near Village Mills, Texas (Wildwood Air Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR TAKEOFF. A FACTOR WAS THE ROUGH CONDITION OF THE GRASS RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 1994 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Village Mills, Texas · Wildwood Air Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35 · all V35s on the register
- Registration
- N4855J · no longer on the register · serial D-8347
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PRIVATE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF FROM A PRIVATE ROUGH GRASS AIRSTRIP. THE AIRPLANE HIT A ROUGH SPOT AND VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE NOSE GEAR THEN IMPACTED A LARGE GRASS COVERED HOLE AND THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED ABOUT ITS VERTICAL AXIS CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO HIT A TREE. A FIRE STARTED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
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: 240 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1994; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: ORG Orange TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from BPT, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
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.