Beech C23 accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas, June 30, 2013
On June 30, 2013 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 1976 Beech C23, registered N3KT, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Hot Springs, Arkansas (Memorial Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots’ failure to monitor and manage fuel consumption during cruise flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2013 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hot Springs, Arkansas · Memorial Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23, built 1976 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N3KT · no longer on the register · serial M-1899
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed with 50 gallons of fuel onboard (confirmed by receipts and a lineman) of which 2.6 gallons was unusable. The pilots verified that the fuel was correct and was not contaminated. During the flight, they appropriately leaned the mixture for each altitude at which they were flying. About 1 hour into the flight, they switched to the left fuel tank, and about 1 hour 42 minutes later, they switched back to the right fuel tank. About 8 miles from the airport, the engine lost power. The pilots turned on the fuel pump, and the engine regained power briefly. They selected the left fuel tank, and the engine again regained power. The pilots expected to make the airport and estimated that 8 gallons of fuel remained, which would have met required fuel reserves. About 3 miles from the airport, the engine lost power again. The pilots switched to the right fuel tank. However, the engine produced short "bursts of power." At this point, the left seat pilot turned control over to the right seat pilot. A small, clear, grassy area was selected for a forced landing. The left wing impacted a tree, and the nose hit another tree. An examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were intact. The flight's fuel planning was reviewed and found to be adequate to complete the flight. Using the manufacturer's "best power" fuel mixture setting, 41.6 gallons of fuel would be needed to complete the flight. However, 26 ounces of fuel was recovered from both fuel tanks. The pilots stated the fuel gauges worked during the flight. The pilot operating handbook indicated that it is "the pilot's responsibility to ascertain that the fuel quantity indicators are functioning and maintaining a reasonable degree of accuracy, and to be certain of ample fuel for a flight." It is likely that the pilots did not use the best power fuel mixture setting throughout the flight, thus burning more fuel than they had planned for the flight. However, they should have been monitoring the fuel consumption and landed before the fuel was exhausted.
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 engine power (total) during approach defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 167 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 90 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 6, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 826 hours in all; 469 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 767 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 22, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,988 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Seymours Sundowners LLC
The flight
- Departed from: AUS Austin TX at 1:30 pm
- Destination: HOT Hot Springs AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 6,595 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from HOT, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.