Beech G35 accident near Alpine, Texas, August 8, 1997
On August 8, 1997 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Beech G35, registered N44T, was destroyed in an accident near Alpine, Texas (Alpine-Casparis Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's performance of aerobatics at low altitude and his failure to maintain aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1997 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Alpine, Texas · Alpine-Casparis Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech G35 · all G35s on the register
- Registration
- N44T · registry record · serial D-4520
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses at the airport observed the airplane make a low pass down the runway, pull up to an altitude of 'approximately 300 feet' AGL, and roll to the left. One of the witnesses reported that when the airplane reached the inverted position, its nose was pointed down. Another witness reported that the airplane completed an 'aileron roll,' began a second roll, and upon reaching the inverted position, pitched down 'just like a split S.' Both of these witnesses reported that they had observed the pilot rolling the airplane 'many' times before. Witnesses off the airport observed the airplane's right wing tip and nose simultaneously impact the ground. Examination of the airplane wreckage at the accident site, which was located about 1/4 mile from the departure end of the runway, revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical discrepancies.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,719 hours in all; 111 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 2,591 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,662 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 1996; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,775 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E38 at 2:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.