Beech 23 accident near West Milton, Ohio, November 24, 2011
On November 24, 2011 at about 1:43 am local time, a Beech 23, registered N8700M, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near West Milton, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The non-instrument-rated pilot's decision to attempt a flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2011 · about 1:43 am local time
- Place
- West Milton, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 23 · all 23s on the register
- Registration
- N8700M · no longer on the register · serial M-484
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument-rated pilot was conducting the accident flight under visual flight rules without a flight plan in dark, night, instrument meteorological conditions. Radar data depicted that shortly after departure, the airplane performed a series of multi-directional turns at varying altitudes. Several witnesses observed or heard the airplane over their residences complete several turns at a low altitude. Based on the erratic flight of the airplane, the wreckage distribution, which was consistent with a high-speed impact, and the low visibility present at the time of the accident, it is likely that the pilot experienced spatial disorientation and lost control of the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Local law enforcement officers who responded to the accident site reported the clouds were about 700 feet above ground level when they arrived at the accident site. There is no record of the accident pilot receiving an official or "unofficial" weather briefing before departure. Federal Aviation Administration guidance indicated that spatial disorientation can occur when there is no natural horizon or surface reference, such as night flight in sparsely populated areas similar to that of the accident area and conditions.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Spatial disorientation › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total instrument experience › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 306 hours in all; 224 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: July 3, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,855 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3I7 Phillipsburg OH at 1:38 am
- Destination: MNN Marion OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 1:42 am from DAY, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.