Beech C23 accident near Simsbury, Connecticut, August 29, 2016
On August 29, 2016 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1975 Beech C23, registered N9352S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Simsbury, Connecticut (Simsbury 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 student pilot’s failure to attain the proper touchdown point, which resulted in a runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2016 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Simsbury, Connecticut · Simsbury · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 NO SERIES, built 1975 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N9352S · no longer on the register · serial M-1653
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he was preparing for his private pilot check ride, and after about 90 minutes of flying, he approached the airport and entered the traffic pattern for runway 21, a 2,205-ft-long runway. The student pilot added that, while established on "short final," he chose to perform a go-around because he was not "comfortable" with the approach. On the second landing attempt, the airplane floated past the intended touchdown point before landing on the runway, and the student pilot was unable to stop the airplane before it went off the departure end. Subsequently, the airplane struck a perimeter fence and an embankment, which resulted in the nose landing gear collapsing and substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The winds reported at an airport 4 miles east of the accident location were from 320° at 7 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
- Landing area overshoot during landing
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Landing distance › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 78 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,165 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4J (piston); 2,680 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MMK Meriden CT at 10:30 pm
- Destination: 4B9 Simsbury CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 2,205 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Observation at 9:51 pm from BDL, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 7, 2017. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Site and Damage Photographs (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.