Beech C23 accident near Columbia, Mississippi, October 23, 2011
On October 23, 2011 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N89MH, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Columbia, Mississippi (Columbia-Marion County Airport). 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 partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2011 · about 5:00 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Columbia, Mississippi · Columbia-Marion County Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N89MH · registry record · serial M-1985
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot flew the airplane earlier that day on a local flight with no reported discrepancies. He then secured the airplane and took a short break before departing again on another local flight. During the initial takeoff climb, when flying about 200 feet above ground level, the engine lost partial power and started “running very rough.” He aborted the takeoff, landed on the remaining portion of the runway, but traveled off the end colliding with an airport light, which breached the right main fuel tank. A postcrash fire damaged the aft fuselage, aft portion of cabin, and interior of the airplane. Postaccident examination of the engine and engine accessories revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. About the time of the accident, the temperature and dew point were favorable for serious carburetor ice at glide power settings. However, the engine was operating at a high power setting for takeoff, indicating that carburetor ice was likely not the reason for the loss of engine power.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Ground collision during landing (landing roll)
- Fire/smoke (post-impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 29,500 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 1, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,912 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Columbia Aircraft, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 0R0 Columbia MS at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 0R0 Columbia MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 4,460 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from HBG, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on June 27, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts from Engine Logbook | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Record of NTSB Conversations | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (Saib) CE-09-35-CARBURETOR Icing Prevention | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Statement from A&p/ia | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 1: Digital Photograph Provided by FAA. View of the Airplane Where It Came to Rest. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 2: Digital Photograph Provided by FAA. Another View of the Airplane Where It Came to Rest. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N89MH on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beechcraft C23 Sundowner 456 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K 44 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Columbia/Marion County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Mississippi 845 since 1982 · 90 in the last ten years
- Mississippi 2,600 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA12LA048.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.