Wildwood Air Strip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Village Mills, Texas 77663
Monday, December 5, 1994 16:00 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A PRIVATE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF FROM A PRIVATE ROUGH GRASS AIRSTRIP. THE AIRPLANE HIT A ROUGH SPOT AND VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE NOSE GEAR THEN IMPACTED A LARGE GRASS COVERED HOLE AND THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED ABOUT ITS VERTICAL AXIS CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO HIT A TREE. A FIRE STARTED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR TAKEOFF. A FACTOR WAS THE ROUGH CONDITION OF THE GRASS RUNWAY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/5/1994
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1600
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City VILLAGE MILLS
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 77663
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WILDWOOD AIR STRIP
Event Location Nearest Airport ID NONE
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 25
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1555 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 150
Weather Observation Facility ID BPT
Elevation of weather observation facility 25
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 8
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1765
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 5 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1910
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 12:44PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4855J
NTSB Number FTW95LA059
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model V35
Aircraft Series Identifier V35
Aircraft Serial Number D-8347
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 1 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 25
Airframe Hours 5700
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SMITH, JAMES R.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2921 BRYAN
Aircraft Owner City GROVES
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77619
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code ORG
Destination City ORANGE
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 18
Runway Length 3200
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --