Beech 23 accident near Macon, Georgia, January 8, 2000
On January 8, 2000 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Beech 23, registered N2336Z, was destroyed in an accident near Macon, Georgia (Herbert Smart Downtown airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was conditions favorable for the formation of carburetor ice.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2000 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Macon, Georgia · Herbert Smart Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 23 · all 23s on the register
- Registration
- N2336Z · no longer on the register · serial M-39
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During climbout, the engine was heard sputtering. The airplane collided with 100-foot trees and subsequently the ground. Two young eyewitnesses located adjacent to the accident site, reported that approximately five seconds after the airplane collided with the ground, it burst into flames. The subsequent wreckage examination showed that the accessory section of the engine assembly had melted and was fire damaged. The airframe and engine examinations failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or component failure. Weather conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 83 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 16, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MAC at 7:43 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 4,695 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MCN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.