Beech C23 Sundowner accident near San Martin, California, May 14, 2005
On May 14, 2005 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Beech C23 Sundowner, registered N1982L, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Martin, California (San Martin airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper landing flare that resulted in a porpoise and a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2005 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- San Martin, California · San Martin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 Sundowner · all C23 Sundowners on the register
- Registration
- N1982L · no longer on the register · serial M-1839
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During touchdown, the airplane porpoised, and made a hard landing causing the nose wheel to separate. The pilot entered the landing pattern for runway 32, decreased the airspeed to 80 knots, and selected 15 degrees of flaps. On final, the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) indicated that he was on glideslope. The airplane touched down at 75 knots, and the engine was at idle. After touchdown, the airplane ballooned, and came back down hard on the nose gear. The airplane slid to a stop and a small fire erupted in the engine compartment. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. He also reported that the winds were from 140 degrees at 10 knots at the time of the 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 170 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CCB Upland CA at 5:45 pm
- Destination: E16 San Martin CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.