Beech 77 accident near Live Oak, Florida, September 11, 2006
On September 11, 2006 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Beech 77, registered N3818M, was destroyed in an accident near Live Oak, Florida (Suwannee County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power for reasons undetermined, and an inadvertent stall while maneuvering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2006 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Live Oak, Florida · Suwannee County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 77 · all 77s on the register
- Registration
- N3818M · no longer on the register · serial WA-222
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor said the student pilot preflighted the airplane and taxied it to the fuel pump, where the instructor topped it off with 21.4 gallons of fuel. The student pilot then taxied to runway 07, did an engine runup, and took off. He made at "at least" one touch-and-go landing. When the instructor noticed the airplane again, "the nose of the airplane dip[ped] twice over the last third of the runway before [the student] turned the plane to the left in an attempt to return to the runway." Another witness said he heard the engine "spit and sputter." Power was restored for approximately 2 to 3 seconds, then the engine "spit and sputtered 3 to 4 times again, then there was no sound at all." The airplane banked to the left, lost [altitude], then [nosed into the ground]." The student pilot later confirmed that the engine had lost power shortly after he took off. The fuel selector was on the left tank, and fuel was leaking from the compromised fuel tanks. The engine was later disassembled and examined. Internal gear and valve train continuity was confirmed. The electrical, fuel, lubrication and exhaust systems were also disassembled and examined. No anomalies were noted.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 45 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 24J Live Oak FL
- Destination: 24J
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 4,037 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.