Beech 35-C33A accident near Indianola, Mississippi, May 18, 2023
On May 18, 2023 at about 1:17 pm local time, a 1966 Beech 35-C33A, registered N63B, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Indianola, Mississippi (Indianola Muni airport). 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
An in-flight fire for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2023 · about 1:17 pm local time
- Place
- Indianola, Mississippi · Indianola Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35-C33A, built 1966 · all 35-C33As on the register
- Registration
- N63B · no longer on the register · serial CE-97
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that before the flight he completed an engine runup with no anomalies noted. After departure, when the airplane was about 800 to 1,000 ft above ground level, he smelled “burning plastic” and observed smoke from the engine compartment. He turned back toward the airport and was on the base leg of the traffic pattern when he observed flames coming through the firewall under the battery box area. He tried to kick out the flame, but the fire seemed to be coming from the engine side of the firewall. He turned off the electrical system and adjusted the mixture control to cut off the fuel. He performed a gear-up landing on the runway as the cabin filled with smoke. After the airplane came to rest and the pilot egressed, the fire consumed a majority of the fuselage before it was extinguished. The pilot recorded a video of the airplane that showed dark smoke in the cabin and heat discoloration below the front right windscreen, near the battery box. The postaccident examination was unable to determine the source of the fire due to the extensive fire damage.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during initial climb defining event
- Landing gear not configured during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,335 hours in all; 322 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 6,584 as pilot in command; 1,306 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,841.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-550-B (piston); 4,939 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IDL Indianola MS at 1:14 pm
- Destination: STF Starkville MS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 7,004 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KGLH, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGLH 181353Z COR 05004KT 10SM SCT055 23/18 A2992
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2024. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Correspondence | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N63B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.