Beech C23 accident near Eden Prairie, Minnesota, December 23, 1993
On December 23, 1993 at about 6:07 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N9228S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eden Prairie, Minnesota. 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
an inadequate preflight by both the CFI and student pilot. Factors contributing to the accident was poor communications between the CFI and student pilot, and hilly terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 1993 · about 6:07 pm local time
- Place
- Eden Prairie, Minnesota · 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
- N9228S · no longer on the register · serial M-1761
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
NEITHER THE CFI OR STUDENT PILOT VISUALLY CHECKED THE FUEL QUANTITY IN THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE PREFLIGHT. THE STUDENT STATED THE FUEL CAPS WERE FROZEN AND AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO FREE THE CAPS THE CFI STATED 'IT WAS ALRIGHT' AND TO GET IN THE AIRPLANE. THE CFI LATER STATED HE HAD CHECKED THE LEFT TANK AND THOUGHT THE STUDENT HAD CHECKED THE RIGHT TANK. THE STUDENT STATED HE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CFI HAD CHECKED THE FUEL QUANTITY PRIOR TO HIS ARRIVAL SO HE GOT IN THE AIRPLANE. SEVERAL LOCAL PRACTICE APPROACHES WERE MADE AND FOLLOWING THE LAST APPROACH WHILE CIRCLING TO LAND, A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER RESULTED. THE CFI ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT POWER WAS NOT REGAINED. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE ON TOP OF A RIDGE DURING WHICH THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE TERRAIN. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE LEFT TANK CONTAINED 1 GALLON OF FUEL.
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: 586 hours in all; 131 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 453 as pilot in command; 282 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,455 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: General Aviation Services
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:09 pm from FCM, 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.
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.