Beech 95-B55 accident near Palo Verde, Arizona, August 5, 1982
On August 5, 1982, a Beech 95-B55, registered N1UR, was destroyed in an accident near Palo Verde, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 1982
- Place
- Palo Verde, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55 · all 95-B55s on the register
- Registration
- N1UR · registry record · serial TC1562
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT TOOK OFF FROM A ROAD NEAR THE PLT'S HOME. IT WAS OBSERVED TO GO AROUND A PICKUP TRUCK PARKED ALONGSIDE THE ROAD & THEN LIFT OFF. THE ACFT CLIMBED, TURNED RIGHT BRIEFLY & THEN WENT WINGS LEVEL. IT THEN STARTED A RIGHT DESCENDING TURN INTO THE GROUND. THE RIGHT PROPELLER HAD ONLY A FEW LIGHT NICKS ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BLADES. THE RIGHT ENG FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE & VALVE WERE IN AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION BETWEEN THE MAIN & AUX TANK, PARTIALLY EXPOSING THE AUX TANK LINE. ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE RIGHT WING MAIN TANK. THE RIGHT WING AUX TANK WAS FILLED WITH APPROXIMATELY 30 GALS WATER & A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS OBSERVED FLOATING ON THE WATER.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L21A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Watkins & Sons Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: Arlington AZ
- Destination: Buckeye AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX82FA290.