Beech C23 accident near Elkhart, Indiana, February 27, 1986
On February 27, 1986 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N5150M, was destroyed in an accident near Elkhart, Indiana (Elkhart Muni 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 1986 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Elkhart, Indiana · Elkhart Muni
- 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
- N5150M · no longer on the register · serial M2036
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO START THE ACFT ENG AND GOT OUT TO PULL THE PROP THROUGH BY HAND. THE MAGNETO SWITCH HAD BEEN LEFT IN THE BOTH POSITION AND THE ENG STARTED AS THE PASSENGER PRIMED THE ENG WHILE THE PLT PULLED THE PROP THROUGH. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE ACFT BY HOLDING THE WING. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT TAXIED INTO A HANGAR WALL.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 262 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 154 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,150 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, September 11, 1985; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Continental Industries, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: EKM Elkhart IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from EKM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.