Beech C-23 accident near Greenfield, Iowa, January 17, 1989
On January 17, 1989 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Beech C-23, registered N24658, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenfield, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE AN AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL WAS ON BOARD IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1989 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Greenfield, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-23 · all C-23s on the register
- Registration
- N24658 · registry record · serial M-1454
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THAT HE WAS ABOUT TEN MILES FROM HIS DESTINATION ARPT, HAD IT IN SIGHT, THEN CLOSED HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN. ABOUT 3 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE COUGHED, THEN STARTED TO QUIT. A SWITCH OF FUEL TANKS WAS MADE AND THE ENGINE RAN ABOUT 20 TO 30 SECONDS MORE BEFORE QUITTING COMPLETELY. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED WHICH CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL TANKS TO BE EMPTY.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,353 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command; 747 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 893 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 2, 1989; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FWA Ft. Wayne IN at 2:10 pm
- Destination: GFZ Greenfield IA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from DSM, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N24658 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.