Beech 23 accident near Jacksonville, Florida, August 7, 2024
On August 7, 2024 at about 7:44 pm local time, a 1963 Beech 23, registered N2376L, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Jacksonville, Florida (Herlong Recreational airport). It was a personal 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 pilot’s improper inflight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation while on final approach to land, and the subsequent hard landing, which resulted in separation of the airplane’s landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2024 · about 7:44 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Herlong Recreational · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 23, built 1963 · all 23s on the register
- Registration
- N2376L · registry record · serial M-212
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to fly in the traffic pattern to see if the engine was leaking oil, as he had recently observed trace amounts of oil in the cowling. After completing a normal preflight inspection and an engine run-up the pilot took off and completed one traffic pattern circuit overflying the runway. He climbed back to traffic pattern altitude and made an approach to the runway with the intent to land. The pilot reported that the airplane seemed slow as he approached the runway numbers, so he increased the throttle; however, the engine rpm decreased to near idle. He continued to report that, about 20 ft above ground level, the airplane dropped to the runway and landed hard on the runway centerline. The left main landing gear separated and the airplane skidded to a stop in the grass to the left of the runway. The left wing and fuselage received substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine, which included a successful test run of the engine, did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Following the accident, the fuel selector was found selected to the intact right wing fuel tank, which contained about 3 gallons of fuel. The left wing fuel tank contained about 9 gallons of fuel. According to the pilot operating handbook for the accident airplane, each fuel tank contained 3.8 gallons of unusable fuel. Based on this information, it is likely that the total loss of engine power was the result of fuel starvation.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Fuel starvation during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 163 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 77 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 20, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,265.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2024; 10.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2B (piston); 1,933 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 3,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.65 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from HEG
Weather report (METAR): KHEG 071955Z AUTO 29009G18KT 10SM FEW046 SCT060 BKN070 33/23 A2965 RMK AO2 TSNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
16 documents, released by the NTSB on April 1, 2025. 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.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 ERA24LA341.