Beech 23 accident near Oakville, Washington, July 13, 1998
On July 13, 1998, a Beech 23, registered N8719M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oakville, Washington. 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
Loss of power due to the failure of an exhaust valve, and overloading of the landing gear. Factors include the failure of maintenance personnel to verify proper compliance with an Airworthiness Directive related to the exhaust valve, and soft terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1998
- Place
- Oakville, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 23 · all 23s on the register
- Registration
- N8719M · no longer on the register · serial M-503
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine began vibrating violently and losing power without warning while in cruise flight. Unable to maintain altitude, The pilot-in-command executed a forced landing in a soft, open field. During the roll-out, the nose landing gear separated and the left main landing gear collapsed. Post-crash engine examination revealed that the 7/16' exhaust valve on the number 3 cylinder had failed. Reconstructed log books (engine) noted that previous log books had been lost, and that the engine had been overhauled in 1966, about 978 hours before the accident. The Airworthiness Directives (AD) listing in the reconstructed log books for the engine noted that an AD requiring recurrent inspection and replacement of 7/16' valves and/or valve guides (depending upon which camshaft was installed) did not apply due to the serial number of the engine. The associated service bulletin did, however, list the serial number of the engine as requiring compliance. No record of compliance with this AD note prior to the reconstruction of the log books was found, and no record was found as to which camshaft was installed at the time of the reported overhaul.
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: 533 hours in all; 121 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 443 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,928 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 1998; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUO Aurora OR at 11:20 pm
- Destination: WA22 Elma WA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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.