Beech C-23 accident near Manassas, Virginia, December 29, 1999
On December 29, 1999 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Beech C-23, registered N2116W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Manassas, Virginia (Manassas Regional 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 inadequate remedial action to recover the airplane from porpoising during the landing roll out.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 1999 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Manassas, Virginia · Manassas Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-23 · all C-23s on the register
- Registration
- N2116W · no longer on the register · serial M-1481
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing on a 5,700 foot long, 100 foot wide, asphalt runway, the airplane began to 'porpoise strongly.' The pilot said he tried to stabilize the airplane's attitude and maintain directional control with the power at idle; however, the airplane's nose wheel collapsed and the propeller contacted the ground. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane. The pilot purchased the airplane about 1 month prior to the accident, and he reported 14 hours of total flight experience in make and model.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 210 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 115 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,541 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 1999; 24 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: JYO Leesburg VA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: HEF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34R, 5,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from HEF
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.