Beech 23 accident near Cleburne, Texas, June 4, 2020
On June 4, 2020 at about 2:55 pm local time, a 1966 Beech 23, registered N7941L, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cleburne, Texas. It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to metal fatigue failure of the No. 1 cylinder wall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2020 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- Cleburne, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 23 A23A, built 1966 · all 23s on the register
- Registration
- N7941L · no longer on the register · serial M-993
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot departed on a local flight and had flown for “several” minutes when the oil pressure began decreasing. The pilot elected to return to the departure airport. As he continued on his return, the engine started “shaking” and subsequently stopped. He performed a forced landing on a curving gravel road and subsequently departed the road and impacted bushes and a tree, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s right wing. A postimpact examination of the engine revealed the No. 1 cylinder head was separated and the piston exposed. Further examination revealed fatigue cracking through the cylinder wall. The failure initiation was a through-wall crack located on the exhaust side of the cylinder. A review of the airplane logbook revealed debris was found under the oil pressure relief valve seat 4 years prior to the accident, which “caused the oil pressure gage to read zero.” Further review showed that the oil pressure relief valve had been removed, cleaned, and reinstalled 8 months before the accident and that, 3 weeks prior to the accident, the oil pressure relief valve seat was honed, and a new plunger was installed. It is likely the separation of the No. 1 cylinder head was a result of metal fatigue, which in turn, resulted in the complete failure of the engine.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,717 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,633 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 21, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,336 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-346-A (piston); 2,788 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CPT Cleburne TX at 2:25 pm
- Destination: CPT Cleburne TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KCPT, 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
8 documents, released by the NTSB on February 11, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records - Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 17 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Powerplants - Engine Examination Summary of Findings from C Hatch | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Evidence Control Form - Release Engine Minus the NO.1 Cylinder | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.