Beech A23-24 accident near Greenfield, Indiana, March 19, 1990
On March 19, 1990 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Beech A23-24, registered N5786V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenfield, Indiana (Pope Fld 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
THE PILOTS SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY RELATIVE TO THE WIND AND HIS FAILURE TO GO-AROUND IN A TIMELY MANNER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 1990 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Greenfield, Indiana · Pope Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23-24 · all A23-24s on the register
- Registration
- N5786V · no longer on the register · serial MA-64
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A DOWNWIND LANDING ON 2,000 FOOT GRASS STRIP. TOUCHDOWN POINT WAS 1550 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY. WITNESSES SAID AIRCRAFT BOUNCED TWICE ON LANDING AND SKIDDED OFF END OF RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT WENT THROUGH AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE, AND STOPPED IN AIRPORT PARKING LOT. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT, FENCE, AND AUTOMOBILE IN PARKING LOT. PILOT NOT INJURED. PILOT HAD 8 HOURS IN AIRCRAFT.
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
- Flight time: 215 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 180 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,369 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 1990; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from IND, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N5786V 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.