Beech C90A accident near Rio Grande City, Texas, January 2, 1997
On January 2, 1997 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Beech C90A, registered N1552D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rio Grande City, Texas. It was a business 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 clearance with the tower. Factors were the low ceilings and the pilot's diverted attention to his navigation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 1997 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rio Grande City, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C90A · all C90As on the register
- Registration
- N1552D · registry record · serial LJ1204
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot planned to navigate south along the road for approximately 25 nautical miles to the Starr County Airport, near Rio Grande City. The pilot stated that while en route to the airport, at an estimated altitude of 1,000 feet MSL, the left engine propeller impacted guide wires and the outer portion of the right wing impacted a tower. According to the Brownsville sectional chart, the tower, which is located on the west side of the road, is 1,002 feet MSL high (519 feet AGL). The pilot reported that he 'checked [the] map to track his position along highway 755, and when he looked up, the tower was right in front, too late to take evasive action.' The pilot also reported that after the collision with the tower, he aborted the approach and proceeded to the McCallen Miller International Airport, where after extending the landing gear manually, an uneventful landing was made.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,500 hours in all; 9,000 in this make and model; 132 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 12,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,803 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 11, 1996; 108 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-21 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Raytheon Aircraft Services
The flight
- Departed from: SAT San Antonio TX at 1:40 pm
- Destination: 67R Rio Grande City TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°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.