Beech 23 accident near Ballston Spa, New York, October 27, 2021
On October 27, 2021 at about 9:50 pm local time, a 1965 Beech 23, registered N2353Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Ballston Spa, New York (Saratoga County 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s and student pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning and improper in-flight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2021 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Ballston Spa, New York · Saratoga County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 23, built 1965 · all 23s on the register
- Registration
- N2353Z · no longer on the register · serial 1963
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot measured 1 inch of fuel in the right tank and 3 inches of fuel in the left tank using a stick during the preflight inspection. Based on fuel consumption calculations from a multi-day flight home after purchasing the airplane out of state, he determined that the fuel measurements represented 5 hours of flying time. After about 2 hours and 20 minutes of flight in the practice area and performing eight touch-and-go takeoffs and landings, all while using the left fuel tank, the engine lost total power, and the propeller continued to windmill. The flight instructor took control of the airplane but was unable to restore engine power. During the forced landing, the instructor pitched up to avoid power lines, heard the stall warning horn, and the airplane then descended to the ground and landed hard, substantially damaging the right wing. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of fuel in the left tank, fuel lines, gascolator, or fuel pump. The right fuel tank contained about 1 inch of fuel. No other preimpact anomalies or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation were observed; therefore, it is likely that the engine lost power when the fuel in the left tank was exhausted. The pilots’ previous calculation of the airplane’s fuel burn rate during a previous cross-country flight did not take into consideration prolonged flight without leaning the mixture or the multiple landings on the accident flight. The flight instructor stated that neither he nor the student performed the appropriate preflight fuel planning.
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 (total) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Abrupt maneuver during approach
- Fuel starvation during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Student/instructed pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,085 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 141 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 2,925 as pilot in command; 902 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 12, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 28 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,304.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2021; 28.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2B (piston); 2,304 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5B2 Saratoga Springs NY at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from SCH, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSCH 272151Z 04009KT 10SM SCT050 BKN075 11/04 A2989
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 ERA22LA033.