Beech 23 accident near Strasburg, Colorado, October 25, 1995
On October 25, 1995 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Beech 23, registered N5070T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Strasburg, Colorado. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DELAYED APPLICATION OF CARBURETOR HEAT. A FACTOR WAS THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 1995 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Strasburg, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 23 · all 23s on the register
- Registration
- N5070T · no longer on the register · serial M1134
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE LOST 25-35 RPM AND BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT CHECKED THE MAGNETOS, WHICH WERE FOUND TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY, AND THEN APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT. THE ENGINE DECELERATED TO IDLE AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BACK TO NORMAL POWER. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE TO A FIELD WHICH WAS SOFT AND MUDDY. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A FENCE AND DURING LANDING ROLL THE LANDING GEAR SHEARED OFF WHEN IT SUNK INTO THE SOFT TERRAIN. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE PROVIDED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT SPREAD AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE WAS 14 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 496 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,549 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 9, 1995; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7CO0 Erie CO at 3:45 pm
- Destination: F-28 El Reno OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:40 pm from DIA, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.