Beech A-23 accident near Felton, Delaware, August 28, 1994
On August 28, 1994 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Beech A-23, registered N1462L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Felton, Delaware. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control. A factor is the pilot's failure to do a go around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1994 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Felton, Delaware · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A-23 · all A-23s on the register
- Registration
- N1462L · registry record · serial M-857
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he touched down just passed the 1/2 the distance of the 3,300-foot-long runway. He stated the airplane bounced up into the air and he decided to abort the landing. He stated he applied full power and a moment later the airplane encountered a 'windshear' and it descended to the runway. The airplane contacted the runway and then veered off the side of the runway into a soy bean field. While rolling through the soy bean field, the nose gear and right main gear collapsed. The pilot reported the accident could have been prevented if he made decision to do a go around sooner.
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: 109 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 83 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,319 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 1994; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-346-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,300 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.