Beech A23A accident near Sarasota, Florida, March 15, 1996
On March 15, 1996 at about 9:33 pm local time, a Beech A23A, registered N2300W, was destroyed in an accident near Sarasota, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering (VSO) resulting in an inadvertent in-flight loss of control (stall/spin) and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 1996 · about 9:33 pm local time
- Place
- Sarasota, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23A · all A23As on the register
- Registration
- N2300W · no longer on the register · serial M-901
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was in radio contact with ATC for traffic advisories, and was observed on radar maneuvering between 2,400 feet and 2,300 feet. The pilot stated 'mayday november two three zero zero whiskey is in a stall in a spin.' A witness driving near the accident site observed the airplane descending in a vertical spiral to the left. Examination of the crash site revealed the airplane collided with the ground in a near vertical descent, 35 degree nose-down attitude, with no evidence of forward motion.
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: 223 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,177 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 1995; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-346A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SRQ FL at 8:53 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:47 pm from SRQ, 14 miles away
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.