Beech C23 accident near Middlefield, Ohio, October 17, 1986
On October 17, 1986 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N5162M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Middlefield, Ohio (Geauga CO. airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 1986 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Middlefield, Ohio · Geauga CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N5162M · registry record · serial M2040
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
STUDENT PLT STATED THAT HE WAS PREPARING TO LAND AFTER A BUSINESS X-COUNTRY FLT. ON DOWNWIND HE NOTED THE WIND SOCK IND A X-WIND. MADE A LONG FINAL AND DID NOT NOTICE X-WIND. STATED THAT AT FLARE HE SEEMED TO HAVE A LITTLE TAILWIND SINCE HIS SPD WAS 85 KTS WHEN USUAL WAS 70-75. AFTER FLARE THE ACFT FLOATED PAST HALF WAY POINT ON RWY. PLT FORCED NOSE DOWN ONTO RWY. ACFT BOUNCED AND NOSE AND LT MAIN GEARS SEPARATED FM ACFT. ACFT CAME TO A STOP OFF THE LT SIDE OF THE RWY NEAR THE END.
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: student
- Flight time: 93 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 37 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,700 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BEH Benton Harbor MI at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,509 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from YNG, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL87LA008.