Beech BE-19 accident near Mckinney, Texas, October 30, 1996
On October 30, 1996 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Beech BE-19, registered N5102R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mckinney, Texas (Mckinney Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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 inadequate preflight planning/preparation, by selecting a seat/cushion that would not allow adequate knee clearance and ankle movement in the cockpit, which was subsequently attributed to the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 1996 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Mckinney, Texas · Mckinney Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-19
- Registration
- N5102R · no longer on the register · serial MB636
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was endorsed for repeated solo flights and was performing a touch-and-go landing on runway 17. He reported that on final approach, he maintained an airspeed of 70 to 75 knots with full flaps, and that the approach path followed the VASI. He said that while landing, the airplane touched down about midfield, and subsequently, with all 3 wheels on the runway, he retracted the flaps, pushed the carburetor heat to 'COLD,' and reached for the throttle to apply power for the departure. The student pilot stated that at this point, 'the airplane brakes were binding, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, continued through the grass, and stopped after the left wing struck a tree.' An FAA inspector, who examined the accident site, found that the student was using a personal fold-up seat/cushion that was about 5 inches thick. During the investigation, the inspector had the student pilot sit in the airplane. The inspector observed that the 'extra height caused his knees to contact the lower part of the instrument panel and hindered his ankle movement for proper rudder and brake action.' The inspector did not find 'any evidence of brake problems.'
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: student
- Flight time: 45 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,360 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 30, 1996; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TKI at 4:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:36 pm from TK1
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.