Beech C23 accident near Mansfield, Louisiana, January 1, 2024
On January 1, 2024 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N9729L, was destroyed in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Mansfield, Louisiana (C E 'Rusty' Williams airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The nose landing gear collapse and postimpact fire due to undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 2024 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Mansfield, Louisiana · C E 'Rusty' Williams · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N9729L · registry record · serial M-1356
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that she conducted a normal, full flap landing to the runway. After touchdown, the airplane’s nose landing gear collapsed, and a postimpact fire ensued after the airplane skidded to a stop. The airplane was destroyed by the postimpact fire which precluded a postaccident examination of the nose landing gear system. An airport surveillance video appeared to show the airplane bounce and porpoise several times before the airplane came to rest. Due to the poor quality of the surveillance video and lack of available evidence, the reason for the nose landing gear collapse and postimpact fire during landing sequence could not be determined.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 25 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 21, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,640 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-AUG (piston); 1,640 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DTN Shreveport LA at 8:18 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,005 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN24LA075.