Beech MUSKETEER 23 accident near Wauseon, Ohio, August 31, 1997
On August 31, 1997, a Beech MUSKETEER 23, registered N2372L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wauseon, Ohio (Fulton County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's fuel mismanagement by his failure to switch fuel tank positions, which resulted in the fuel starvation and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1997
- Place
- Wauseon, Ohio · Fulton County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech MUSKETEER 23 MUSKETEER
- Registration
- N2372L · no longer on the register · serial M-214
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The annual inspection was completed on the day of the accident, which included the installation of an overhauled engine. The pilot/co-owner hired a flight instructor for the first flight. Break in instructions for the engine were to run it for 2 hours at full throttle and mixture full rich. During takeoff the engine only produced 2,100 rpm's and the takeoff roll used 3,000 feet of the 3,800 foot runway. After flying 1 hour, the pilot landed and called the mechanic about the engine. The pilot was told that 'the timing may be off, or that the engine may still be a little tight.' The pilot then decided to fly again with the other co-owner. After another hour of flying, and during the turn to final, the engine quit. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field short of the runway. After the accident, a witness turned the fuel selector from the left tank to the off position. Only unusable fuel was found in the left wing tank, and the right wing tank was about 1/2 to 3/4 of full. Additionally, no fuel was found in the lines to the carburetor, and only residual fuel was in the engine driven fuel pump. The pilot's total flight experience was 84 hours.
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: 84 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 46 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 30, 1997; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: USE at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,882 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from TOL, 15 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.