Beech 77 accident near Leesburg, Florida, June 28, 2019
On June 28, 2019 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1983 Beech 77, registered N1802Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Leesburg, Florida (Leesburg International airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing, which resulted from the flight instructor's decision not to use carburetor heat.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2019 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Leesburg, Florida · Leesburg International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 77, built 1983 · all 77s on the register
- Registration
- N1802Y · no longer on the register · serial WA-268
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was performing a checkout flight with the commercial pilot. They completed about 30 minutes of air work before returning to the airport to practice takeoffs and landings. The first landing was normal, and the commercial pilot added power to take off. When the airplane reached an altitude of 400 ft above the ground, the engine lost partial power and the airplane began to descend. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and landed in trees and a swamp adjacent to the airport. Examination of the engine revealed that it was full of water and debris from immersion in the swamp; however, no mechanical discrepancies were identified that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the accident. A carburetor icing probability chart indicated that the airplane was operating in an environment associated with a serious risk of carburetor ice accumulation at glide power settings. The flight instructor stated that they did not use carburetor heat before landing because the carburetor heat caused the engine to run very rough when applied. Given that a postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical issues with the engine, and the flight instructor stated that the carburetor heat was not being used during the flight while operating in an environment that was conducive to carburetor icing, the loss of engine power was most likely due to carburetor ice that accumulated during the approach.
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
- Fuel related during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,985 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 7.5 in the last 30 days; 1,932 as pilot in command; 704 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 17, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 627 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 3.4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 623 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 21, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,090 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 17, 2018; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 2,114 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LEE Leesburg FL at 2:00 pm
- Destination: LEE Leesburg FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 2:23 pm from LEE, 5 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA19LA217.