Beech B24R accident near Albany, Texas, August 19, 1997
On August 19, 1997 at about 1:50 am local time, a Beech B24R, registered N2521W, was destroyed in an accident near Albany, Texas (Albany Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to maintain aircraft control during the takeoff/initial climb. A factor was the flight instructor's lack of experience in the make and model of aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1997 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- Albany, Texas · Albany Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B24R · all B24Rs on the register
- Registration
- N2521W · registry record · serial MC-195
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the night instructional flight in which a steep climb was initiated after takeoff, the aircraft descended near vertical, impacted trees and terrain. A post impact fire and explosion ensued. Witnesses reported that the airplane lifted off the runway, accelerated as it remained in ground effect, and near the departure end of the runway, climbed in a vertical attitude, banked, and then descended. Local authorities and the flight instructor's students had previously observed the flight instructor perform this maneuver in single-engine high-wing aircraft. The flight instructor had 17.1 hours in this low wing single engine aircraft including one night flight (1.5 hours) with takeoffs and landings. Physical evidence at the site indicated that the airplane impacted the ground in a nose low attitude in a left bank. The gear and flaps were in the retracted configuration. No evidence of any pre-impact mechanical anomalies were found. Flight control continuity was established. The stabilator up cable was found severed due to arcing and tensile overload.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 945 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 234 in the last 90 days; 89 in the last 30 days; 848 as pilot in command; 469 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Abilene Aero
The flight
- Departed from: ABI Abilene TX at 1:16 am
- Destination: T26 TX
- Runway 17, 3,700 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.