Master CFI and Wife Killed in East Texas Plane Crash

Ron and Barbara Timmermans remembered for their kindness and dedication to aviation.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, February 16, 2026 at 03:30 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Ron and Barbara Timmermans [Credit: Florida Aviation Network]

Key Takeaways:

Nationally recognized Master CFI Ron Timmermans and his wife, Barbara, tragically died on February 11 when their Beechcraft A36 crashed in East Texas after an emergency related to oil on the windscreen; their dog survived.
Ron Timmermans was a highly experienced and decorated flight instructor, holding ATP and multiple instructor ratings, inducted into the CFI Hall of Fame in 2022, and named National CFI of the Year in 2021.
The couple was widely known and respected within the aviation community for their extensive involvement with organizations like AOPA, FAASTeam, and EAA, and for their kind and gentle spirits.

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The aviation education community is mourning the deaths of nationally known CFI Ron Timmermans and his wife, Barbara, who were killed in an aircraft accident on February 11.

According to the FAA, the Timmermans were flying over East Texas in their Beechcraft A36 when they declared an emergency shortly before 5:20 p.m. CST, reporting oil suddenly covering the wind screen. During the emergency landing the aircraft struck power lines and hit the ground in a nose-down attitude near Echo Lake Airport (TX40) in Brownsboro, Texas.