Married Couple Die in Small Plane Crash with Dog on Board, as FAA Blames Emergency on Dirty Windshield
Ron and Barbara Timmermans "will be greatly missed," the Florida Aviation Network said
Abigail Adams
Fri, February 13, 2026 at 5:26 PM UTC
2 min read
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A married couple died after being involved in a small plane crash in Texas on Wednesday, Feb. 11, according to officials and local news reports
The victims were identified as Ron J. Timmermans and his wife, Barbara
Ron was an award-winning flight instructor who began his job in 1998
An award-winning flight instructor and his wife died in a small plane crash in Texas earlier this week, according to officials and local news reports.
A Beechcraft A36 crashed in Brownsboro around 5:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Feb. 11, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
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The pilot declared an emergency shortly before the aircraft struck power lines and went down, the FAA said.
Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the two people on board the plane did not survive the crash, according to ABC affiliate KLTV.
The Florida Aviation Network, an industry organization, identified the victims as Ron J. Timmermans and his wife, Barbara.
A dog that was also on the plane survived.
Ron became a flight instructor in 1998, according to ABC affiliate KVUE. He earned the National Certified Flight Instructor of the Year in 2021 through an award program associated with the FAA.
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The Florida Aviation Network reported that Ron joined them in 2017 and had provided pro bono services ever since.
“Ron was an important part of training hundreds of pilots over the years. He’s done hundreds of hours of interviews with people in the aviation industry,” a spokesperson for the Florida Aviation Network said, according to KLTV.
The spokesperson added, “He and Barbara will be greatly missed.”
A preliminary FAA investigation reportedly determined the plane declared an emergency due to oil on the windshield.
The registered owner of the plane is AileRon T LLC, a company based in Orlando, Fla., KVUE reported, citing FAA data.
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The Florida Aviation Network did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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The FAA is investigating the crash alongside the National Transportation Safety Board. An investigator with the NTSB is expected to arrive at the scene on Friday, Feb. 13, according to KVUE.
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