Beech A23-24 accident near Shunk, Pennsylvania, September 7, 1998
On September 7, 1998 at about 8:53 pm local time, a Beech A23-24, registered N453D, was destroyed in an accident near Shunk, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's attempted flight into known adverse weather conditions, his failure to maintain control of the aircraft, and his exceeding the airframe design limits resulting in separation of the outboard left wing. Contributing factors were clouds, self induced pressure, spatial disorientation, and the lack of instrument certification/experience of both the pilot and pilot/passenger.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 1998 · about 8:53 pm local time
- Place
- Shunk, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23-24 · all A23-24s on the register
- Registration
- N453D · no longer on the register · serial MA-299
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Two non-instrument-rated private pilots and three passengers decided to return home after a weekend visit. A friend tried to dissuade them from flying because of the existing weather conditions, but was told they had to return home because, among other things, the children's school started the next day. The friend then offered to drive home with them, and bring their rental car back. The pilots declined, but assured him they would not fly if the weather was too bad. At the airport, one of the pilots was seen checking the weather computer a number of times, and the group was noted as being 'pretty concerned about the weather.' The airplane departed Elmira where the weather was reported at 1622 hours as 3,600 foot overcast with light rain, and climbed to about 8,500 feet into, or near instrument meteorological conditions. The radar track showed the aircraft transitioning from a climbing right turn approximately 8,500 feet to a rapidly descending right turn. An altitude loss of 1,600 feet in 12 seconds was recorded. It was observed descending from a cloud layer, in a spin, with part of the left wing missing, just before impacting terrain. The pilot-owner was in the left front seat, and the other pilot was in the right front seat. At the time of the accident, the airplane was near its maximum gross weight. Post-crash metallurgical examination of left wing spar fracture surfaces revealed features typical of overstress separation and no pre-existing crack features.
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: 323 hours in all; 302 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,661 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 22, 1997; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELM Elmira NY at 8:30 pm
- Destination: N01 New London PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from IPT, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.