Beech A23-24 accident near Burns Flat, Oklahoma, July 19, 2020
On July 19, 2020 at about 3:45 am local time, a 1969 Beech A23-24, registered N3412C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Burns Flat, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were 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 mechanic’s improper maintenance when he reinstalled the fuel servo during the last annual inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power during cruise flight when the throttle control rod-end disconnected from the fuel servo throttle linkage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2020 · about 3:45 am local time
- Place
- Burns Flat, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23-24, built 1969 · all A23-24s on the register
- Registration
- N3412C · registry record · serial MA-357
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his 3 passengers were on a personal night flight when the airplane had a gradual loss of engine power. The pilot was unable to restore engine power and a forced landing was completed to a grass field. The airplane’s main landing gear collapsed when the pilot intentionally swerved the airplane to avoid a tree after landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and both wings. A postaccident examination revealed that the throttle control rod-end was not connected to the fuel servo throttle linkage. Additionally, the required retaining bolt, washer, and self-locking nut were not located during the investigation. The airplane had accumulated 8.72 flight hours since the last annual inspection, during which the fuel servo had been removed from the engine and overhauled. It is likely that the mechanic who reinstalled the fuel servo did not adequately torque the self-locking nut that secured the retaining bolt, which allowed the self-locking nut to back-off the retaining bolt. The airplane had a partial loss of engine power when the throttle control rod-end disconnected from the unsecured retaining bolt. The pilot did not have the ability to control engine power after the throttle control rod-end disconnected from the fuel servo throttle linkage.
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
- 100050 during abrupt maneuver
- 402342 during 402
- 550440 during descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Inoperative
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Fasteners › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 309.6 hours in all; 8.4 in this make and model; 8.4 in the last 90 days; 8.4 in the last 30 days; 267.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 3, 2020
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,717.8 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, October 22, 2019; 8.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 1,718 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: ELK Elk City OK at 2:00 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 160° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°C, dew point 66°C
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from CSM, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN20LA292.