Beech A23 accident near Miami, Florida, January 28, 2023
On January 28, 2023 at about 10:20 pm local time, a 1966 Beech A23, registered N16TH, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Miami, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 pilot’s mismanagement of fuel supply, which resulted in fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 28, 2023 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23 A, built 1966 · all A23s on the register
- Registration
- N16TH · registry record · serial M-994
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was on a local flight at an altitude of 1,000 ft when he noticed the engine starting to lose power. The pilot said he switched fuel tanks, but engine power was not regained. The pilot conducted an emergency landing on a road and the airplane collided with a bus and then a pole. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks were intact, and that the left fuel only contained a residual amount of fuel, while about 10 gallons of fuel remained in the right fuel tank. An engine test run was then attempted at the accident site, and the engine ran normally using the right fuel tank but did not run consistently with the left fuel tank selected. Based on this information, it is likely that the pilot mismanaged the airplane’s fuel supply and starved the engine of fuel, which resulted in the total loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Fuel starvation during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 142 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 87 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,028 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 29, 2023; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-340-A (piston); 3,021 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTH Marathon FL at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft; a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from MIA, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KMIA 282353Z 07011KT 10SM FEW025 BKN048 24/18 A3023 RMK AO2 SLP238 T02390183 10261 20239 53009
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ERA23LA119.