Beech 19 accident near Elkhart, Indiana, August 26, 1993
On August 26, 1993 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Beech 19, registered N1914L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elkhart, Indiana (Elkhart Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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
inadequate remedial action by the flight instructor. Factors related to the accident were the excessive descent rate and the overload failure of the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 1993 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Elkhart, Indiana · Elkhart Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 19 · all 19s on the register
- Registration
- N1914L · registry record · serial MB-803
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PREPARING FOR HIS PRIVATE PILOT FLIGHT TEST WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS OBSERVING THE STUDENT PERFORM A SHORT FIELD LANDING APPROACH. DURING THE APPROACH, AN EXCESSIVE DESCENT RATE DEVELOPED. THE STUDENT APPLIED POWER TO CORRECT THE DESCENT RATE AND GLIDEPATH. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN FIRM, BUT NOT HARD. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED AND TOUCHED DOWN A SECOND TIME. DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND SEPARATED FROM THE WING MOUNT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 880 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 190 in the last 90 days; 101 in the last 30 days; 791 as pilot in command; 415 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hawkeye Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: EKM at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 6,500 ft by 120 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:20 pm from EKM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N1914L 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.