Beech A23A accident near Saginaw, Michigan, April 13, 1996
On April 13, 1996 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Beech A23A, registered N3613Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saginaw, Michigan (Saginaw-Browne Intl airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 13, 1996 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Saginaw, Michigan · Saginaw-Browne Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23A · all A23As on the register
- Registration
- N3613Q · registry record · serial M1048
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot said he landed the airplane on all 3 tires and it bounced into the air. He said the second touchdown was not as hard as the first. The nosewheel assembly collapsed shortly after the second touchdown. The pilot said he had made landings that were harder than the accident landing.
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: student
- Flight time: 63 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,130 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 1996; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-346-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 66G Frankemuth MI at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:10 pm from MBS, 11 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.
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.