What happened
On January 8, 2026, at approximately 1431 CST, a Beech A36, registration N5677X, was involved in an accident near Sabine Pass, Texas. The aircraft departed Jennings Airport (3R7) in Louisiana at 1351, en route to Scholes International Airport (GLS) in Galveston, Texas. The flight was being conducted under instrument flight rules at an altitude of 6,000 feet MSL.
While in communication with Houston Terminal Radar Approach Control, the pilot received clearance to descend to 4,000 feet MSL at 1430. ADS-B data indicated that around this time, the aircraft entered a rain shower and began a descending right turn, after which radar contact was lost. A U.S. Coast Guard crew later located the wreckage in a marsh between Salt Lake and Knight Lake.
The accident resulted in 1 fatality.
The investigation
The debris field spanned an area approximately 360 feet long and 160 feet wide, consisting of four primary sections. The wreckage included the left wing and aileron, which had fractured at the wing root; the outboard right wing, separated near the mid spar, along with the right pilot's seat; the engine, propeller, cowling, and cockpit instrumentation; and the aft cabin and empennage. Smaller fragments of doors, insulation, and an aileron were also recovered. There was no evidence of fire at the site, and the flaps were found in the retracted position. Weather radar confirmed that rain showers were present along the flight path when the descending turn began.