Beech A23-24 accident near La Grande, Oregon, June 1, 2013
On June 1, 2013 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Beech A23-24, registered N650VX, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (IFR final approach) near La Grande, Oregon (La Grande/Union County Airport). 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control and the flight instructors failure to monitor the pilot during a simulated emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2013 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- La Grande, Oregon · La Grande/Union County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23-24 · all A23-24s on the register
- Registration
- N650VX · registry record · serial MA-194
- 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 while flying with a certified flight instructor (CFI) for his biannual review, they were simulating an engine failure over the airport with the intent to land on the runway. After spiraling to traffic pattern altitude, the pilot entered a downwind leg for the runway. The pilot turned towards the runway and inadvertently stalled the airplane about 200 feet above the ground. The CFI took over the flight controls; the airplane struck the ground hard, broke off the right main landing gear, and bounced back into the air. The CFI climbed to a safe altitude and circled above the airport before conducting an uneventful landing onto the grass next to the runway. During the accident sequence, the right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (IFR final approach) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 544 hours in all; 194 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 480 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,524 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 5,145 as pilot in command; 3,257 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 3, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,733 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 28, 2012; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGD La Grande OR at 9:40 pm
- Destination: GLD La Grande OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,876 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 12,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from LGD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.