Local media channel KLTV said The couple’s dog was also on board and miraculously survived the devastating crash.
The incident took place in East Texas last Wednesday around 5:30 p.m., when a Beechcraft A36 struck power lines during a detour into Brownsboro, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said. Authorities added that the small plane crashed just short of the runway in Murchison, according to KLTV.
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“It is reported with great sadness that Ron Timmermans (RJT) is ‘Gone West’ on February 11, 2026,” the channel said in an internal memo, referring to the fatal tragedy.
FAN noted that the couple reportedly “died in a plane crash in East Texas.”
The Bonanza & Baron Pilot Training website notes that Timmermans was inspired by his wife Barbara to become a flight instructor, and the couple flew to many destinations in the US, Canada and the Bahamas.
Photos from the crash scene showed Timmermans’ plane with its nose in the ground and its tail sticking dramatically into the air.
While the couple died in the incident, their small lap dog miraculously survived and was taken in by locals at the crash site, KLTV reported. FAN noticed that the dog’s name was Ziva.
“The dog was still alive, so one of the neighbors took it the dog to take care of,” said resident Mary Ann Shoulders.
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FAN described the veteran flight instructor as an integral figure in the flying community. He was named National Certified Flight Instructor of the Year in 2021 by a Federal Aviation Administration awards program. Since 2017, he also provided pro bono services to FAN and acted as a host for the network.
“Ron was an important part of the training of hundreds of pilots over the years,” the organization told KLTV. “He has done hundreds of hours of interviews with people in the aviation industry. He is the main host of our interviews online. He was the National Flight Instructor of the Year in 2021. He and Barbara will be greatly missed.”
A Beechcraft A36 Bonanza aircraft flies on June 27, 2014. (NOAH SEELAM/AFP via Getty Images)
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The NTSB said the crash is under investigation and officials have retrieved devices the plane that may contain data about the accident.
The wreckage was also recovered in a secure facility for further examination.
