Beech C23 accident near Marble Canyon, Arizona, March 14, 2008
On March 14, 2008 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N9374S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Marble Canyon, Arizona (Marble Canyon airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during the flare. Contributing to the accident were wind gusts and a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 2008 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Marble Canyon, Arizona · Marble Canyon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N9374S · no longer on the register · serial M-1672
- 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 after overflying the airport, he decided to land on runway 21. He extended the wing flaps to the 25-degree position during the approach to landing. The pilot observed that the wind sock was about halfway extended, and he estimated that the wind was from 270 degrees at 20 knots, with gusts to 25 knots. During the landing flare, the crosswind suddenly decreased in intensity, and the airplane impacted hard onto the runway's surface. Thereafter, the airplane veered right and exited the runway. Inspection of the airframe revealed that the nosewheel and the left main landing gear separated from the airframe, the windshield cracked, and the vertical stabilizer was bent. The pilot did not indicate that he had experienced any mechanical malfunction or abnormality with his airplane prior to the mishap.
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) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Not specified
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 241 hours in all; 154 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Deer Valley AZ at 3:00 pm
- Destination: L41 Marble Canyon AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,715 ft by 35 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; a few clouds
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.