Beech B23 accident near Viroqua, Wisconsin, September 22, 1996
On September 22, 1996 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Beech B23, registered N66338, was substantially damaged in an accident near Viroqua, Wisconsin. 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 pilot's inadequate aircraft preflight which led to fuel exhaustion. A factor was the rough uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1996 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Viroqua, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B23 · all B23s on the register
- Registration
- N66338 · no longer on the register · serial M-2202
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during the cross country flight the engine quit. She switched tanks and the engine ran for a few minutes and quit again. A forced landing was conducted in a rough field. A postaccident investigation revealed one quart of fuel drained from the entire airplane. The fuel tanks were intact and there was no evidence of leakage, siphoning or fuel stains. The engine ran successfully after the addition of fuel. The pilot thought the airplane was fueled prior to the accident flight, however there is no evidence that it was.
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: 152 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 87 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,032 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 11, 1996; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CMI Champaign IL at 2:24 pm
- Destination: LSE Lacrosse WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from KLS, 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.
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.