Beech A36 accident near Cotulla, Texas, October 1, 1995
On October 1, 1995 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N7247W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cotulla, Texas (Private Ranch Airstrip airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DELAY IN ABORTING THE TAKEOFF. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE DATA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 1995 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Cotulla, Texas · Private Ranch Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N7247W · no longer on the register · serial E-2272
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AFTER IT OVERRAN THE DEPARTURE END OF THE 2,200-FOOT GRASS STRIP DURING TAKEOFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT INITIALLY THE AIRPLANE ACCELERATED NORMALLY FOR THE SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF UNTIL ROTATION SPEED WAS ATTAINED. SOON AFTER LIFTOFF THE AIRPLANE NEVER GAINED MORE AIRSPEED 'LIKE IF SOMETHING WAS HOLDING THE AIRPLANE DOWN.' THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT WHEN HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CLEAR THE TREES AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE STRIP, HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. HE DETERMINED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS WITHIN WEIGHT AND BALANCE LIMITS, AND HE CALCULATED THE TAKEOFF DISTANCE AND DETERMINED THAT 'THEY HAD AMPLE TAKEOFF DISTANCE.' A REVIEW OF THE TAKEOFF DISTANCE CHARTS IN THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK REVEALED THAT TO CLEAR A 50-FOOT OBSTACLE REQUIRED 2,350 FEET WITH THE FLAPS DOWN, AND 2,950 FEET WITH THE FLAPS UP.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 799 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 274 in the last 90 days; 133 in the last 30 days; 639 as pilot in command; 392 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,121 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 17, 1995; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B6A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: IWS Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 2,200 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from COT, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.