Beech 23 accident near Salina, Kansas, October 27, 1997
On October 27, 1997 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Beech 23, registered N843KS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salina, Kansas (Salina Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's excessive pull-up and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision during a simulated engine failure after takeoff, resulting in a stall/mush onto the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 1997 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Salina, Kansas · Salina Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 23 · all 23s on the register
- Registration
- N843KS · registry record · serial M-2023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) pulled the engine power to idle shortly after takeoff at an altitude of 100 feet agl to simulate an engine failure. The student pilot pulled back on the control yoke, decreasing the airspeed which resulted in a 'sink at a great rate.' The CFI took control of the airplane and added power, but the airplane collided with the runway and bounced becoming airborne. The CFI initiated a climb and discovered a loss of stabilator effectiveness. He was able to bring the airplane back to the airport for a landing. After landing it was determined that the right main gear sheared off and contacted the right flap and stabilator during the bounce.
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: 533 hours in all; 139 in this make and model; 155 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 385 as pilot in command; 172 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,054 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 16, 1997; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLN at 11:00 pm
- Destination: SLN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 13,337 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from SLN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.