Accident Details
On January 8, 2026, about 1431 central standard time, a Beech A36 airplane, registration N5677X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sabine Pass, Texas. The airplane was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot was fatally injured.
The flight departed Jennings Airport (3R7) in Jennings, Louisiana, at 1351, and was en route to Scholes International Airport (GLS) in Galveston, Texas, at an altitude of 6,000 feet mean sea level. The pilot had filed an instrument flight rules flight plan and was in radio communication with Houston Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON). At 1430, the pilot was cleared to descend to 4,000 feet msl, which was acknowledged. ADS-B data indicated that around that time, the airplane entered a rain shower and initiated a descending right turn before radar contact was lost. A U.S. Coast Guard crew subsequently located the wreckage in a marsh between Salt Lake and Knight Lake following a brief search.
Wreckage and Examination
The debris field consisted of four main sections distributed over an area approximately 360 feet long and 160 feet wide. The first section included the left wing and aileron, which had fractured at the wing root. The second section contained the outboard right wing, separated near the mid spar, and the right pilot's seat. The third section, submerged in marshy terrain, included the propeller, engine, cowling, and cockpit instrumentation. The fourth section comprised the aft cabin and empennage. Smaller portions of doors, insulation, and aileron were found between the major wreckage areas. There was no evidence of fire. The flaps appeared to be in the retracted position. The airplane was retained for further examination.
Weather Information
A preliminary review of weather information revealed that rain showers were present in the airplane's route of flight at the time the descending right turn began.