Beech A23 accident near Death Valley, California, November 29, 2007
On November 29, 2007 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Beech A23, registered N8770M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Death Valley, California (Stovepipe Wells 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 improper flare during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2007 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Death Valley, California · Stovepipe Wells Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23 · all A23s on the register
- Registration
- N8770M · no longer on the register · serial M-555
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing on runway 5, the touchdown was hard and the airplane bounced and started to "porpoise". Subsequently the nosewheel landing gear failed aft, and the airplane nosed down and slid to a stop. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane by salvage personnel revealed that the engine mount and firewall were bent.
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: 119 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-340-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNO Reno NE at 2:30 pm
- Destination: L09 Death Valley Nt CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 3,260 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
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.