Beech A23-24 accident near Middlefield, Ohio, July 23, 2026
On July 23, 2026 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 1967 Beech A23-24, registered N3661Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Middlefield, Ohio (Geauga 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2026 · about 1:30 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Middlefield, Ohio · Geauga County · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23-24, built 1967 · all A23-24s on the register
- Registration
- N3661Q · registry record · serial MA-251
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an instructional flight, the flight instructor was demonstrating a landing. Upon touchdown, the flight instructor noticed that the airplane was right of centerline. He applied left rudder to realign the airplane with the centerline but overcorrected. The airplane veered sharply left, then he tried to correct with right rudder and the airplane veered sharply to the right. The airplane exited the runway surface and went through a ditch. The nose landing gear separated before the airplane slid through the grass and struck the concrete base of a tetrahedron. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and wings. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 243 hours in all; 5.9 in the last 90 days; 0.6 in the last 30 days; 142.4 as pilot in command; 0.6 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 5, 2026
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 113.9 hours in all; 56.6 in this make and model; 6.8 in the last 90 days; 6.8 in the last 30 days; 25.9 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 24, 2026
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,085.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 2026; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A2B (piston); 1,185 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7G8 Middlefield OH at 12:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 3,500 ft by 65 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 am from KPOV, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPOV 231355Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM SCT055 19/11 A3023 RMK AO2 T01890111
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 5 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Airplane postaccident.
Photograph 2 – Forward left fuselage damage and cowling damage.
Photograph 3 – Left wing damage.
Photograph 4 – Lower right wing deformation and buckled skin.
Photograph 5 – Spinner, propeller and right forward upper fuselage damage and damage to Tetrahedron base.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 8, 2026. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Student Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 6 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3661Q on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beechcraft A23 329 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A2B 2 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Geauga County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Ohio 1,884 since 1982 · 253 in the last ten years
- Ohio 8,529 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA26LA279.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.