Beech C23 accident near Avalon, California, July 26, 1998
On July 26, 1998 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N18961, was destroyed in an accident near Avalon, California (Catalina 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 failure of the pilot to maintain an adequate airspeed during the landing, which resulted in a stall/mush and hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1998 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Avalon, California · Catalina · 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
- N18961 · no longer on the register · serial M-1983
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on final approach for runway 22, with 15 degrees of flaps and 70-75 knots of airspeed. He intended to land about 200 feet beyond the runway numbers, but as he approached the numbers, the nose of the aircraft seemed to suddenly stop and begin to drop. He stated that before he was able of apply power, the aircraft hit the runway and the left main landing gear and nose wheel collapsed. The aircraft veered off to the left side of the runway. The winds were from 270 degrees at 12-15 knots. The pilot reported that he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with the aircraft prior to the accident.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 428 hours in all; 240 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 368 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,583 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 1998; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRQ Carlsbad CA at 7:15 pm
- Destination: AVX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,240 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:00 pm from AVX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.