Beech BE-55B accident near Bellville, Texas, October 11, 1996
On October 11, 1996, a Beech BE-55B, registered N179DP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bellville, Texas (Grawunder Ariport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall. Factors were the dark night conditions and the pilot's failure to lower the flaps.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1996
- Place
- Bellville, Texas · Grawunder Ariport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-55B
- Registration
- N179DP · no longer on the register · serial TC-852
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The dark night approach was executed to the 2,500-foot runway which had trees and transmission lines at the approach path. The pilot stated that the approach was made with the flaps retracted and 'during the landing flare/touchdown, the airplane stalled from about 10 to 12 feet above the ground, the left wing struck the ground, the left main gear collapsed and the airplane departed the runway.'
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 186 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,112 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T72 Hearne TX at 11:50 pm
- Destination: 06R
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.