Beech C23 accident near Fredericksburg, Virginia, March 11, 2007
On March 11, 2007 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Beech C23, registered N9150S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fredericksburg, Virginia (Shannon 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 misjudgment of the airplane's speed and distance during the landing approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2007 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fredericksburg, Virginia · Shannon Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N9150S · no longer on the register · serial M1771
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the pilot's initial attempt to land the Beech C23 on a 2,999-foot long runway, the airplane was "too high and too hot," so he executed a go-around. After completing a circuit around the airport traffic pattern, the pilot descended to 500 feet on the final leg of the approach, and added "one notch" of flaps. About 1/4 mile from the runway, the pilot reduced engine power to idle, and crossed the runway threshold at 75 feet and 90 mph airspeed. The airplane touched down within the first 1,000 feet of the runway, bounced, and floated another 500 feet. The airplane touched down again around the mid-point of the runway. The pilot then applied the brakes, but the airplane was not slowing as he expected it to. With 500 feet of runway remaining, the pilot elected not to abort the landing and continued applying the brakes. The airplane then departed the runway end, encountered a ditch, and came to rest upright. Following the accident, while the airplane was being recovered, a mechanic commented to the pilot that the brakes looked "worn." The pilot stated that had he known this, he would not have flown the airplane. According to the airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook, the flaps down landing approach speed was 78 mph, and the flaps up speed was 92 mph.
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: 520 hours in all; 215 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,905 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W66 Warrenton VA
- Destination: EZF Fredericksburg VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 8:40 pm from EZF
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.