Beech C23 accident near Augusta, Kansas, August 6, 2008
On August 6, 2008 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N24598, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Augusta, Kansas (Augusta Municipal airport). 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
The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. Contributing to the accident were the flight instructor's inadequate supervision, turbulence, airspeed was not maintained, and compensation for the wind conditions was inadequate.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2008 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Augusta, Kansas · Augusta Municipal · 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
- N24598 · registry record · serial M-1419
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor said the weather report indicated rain to the north and northeast that was moving to the east. He observed rain and lightning to the distant north, and he made the decision to give his student some experience in touch-and-go and crosswind landings. He said the wind was out of the east-northeast at 14 knots. As they taxied for takeoff, he checked the weather using a nearby airport's ASOS, and it was reporting the wind from 050 degrees at 10 knots. The takeoff and crosswind and downwind legs were without incident. When they turned on to final approach, the student used the VASI lights as an aid for proper glide path. The instructor said that their speed was 70 knots and the student had deployed one notch of flaps. When they were on a 1-1/2 mile final approach, they encountered turbulence and airspeed had dropped to 68 knots. Short of the runway threshold, the airplane "experienced a sinking action" from an altitude of about 30 to 40 feet. The instructor pushed the nose down "to gain some lift," then pulled up to flare. The airplane continued to sink and struck the runway "at a high rate" and bounced. The airplane touched down again and skidded off the left side of the runway onto the grass. It struck a ditch and the nose gear collapsed. Later examination revealed the left main landing gear had been torn off and it struck the left horizontal stabilizer, denting the leading edge and bending the stabilizer midspan. After the accident, the nearest weather reporting facility reported winds from 080 degrees at 19 knots, gusting to 28 knots.
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
What happened, in order
- Turbulence encounter during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › (general) › Not specified
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,951 hours in all; 121 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 1,933 as pilot in command; 1,310 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 15 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,542 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-360-A2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3AU Augusta KS at 12:00 pm
- Destination: 3AU
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,199 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 19 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 21,000 ft; a few clouds at 13,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 12:26 pm from ICT, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.