Beech C23 accident near Ludlow, California, June 30, 2019
On June 30, 2019 at about 6:34 pm local time, a 1972 Beech C23, registered N24580, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Ludlow, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly tighten an oil line fitting, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2019 · about 6:34 pm local time
- Place
- Ludlow, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23, built 1972 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N24580 · no longer on the register · serial M-1410
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and the passenger departed on a cross-country flight. While at cruise, the pilot noted a faint smell of burning paint, followed by the oil pressure drop to zero and eventually experienced a complete loss of engine power. The pilot performed an emergency landing during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination revealed there was no oil remaining in the engine, the AN hose fitting on the oil cooler was loose, and there was evidence of an oil leak in the area of the loose fitting. No other pre-impact mechanical anomalies were detected that could have precluded normal operations. The engine had been overhauled about 4 operating hours prior to the accident. The accident is consistent with maintenance personnel failing to properly tighten the oil hose fitting, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Emergency descent initiated during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 17,800 as pilot in command; 1,990 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,889.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 27, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 3,892 hours total
- Operator: Tiger Capital, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: EED Needles CA at 5:55 pm
- Destination: cno Chino CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 105°F (41°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 am from EED, 75 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on January 25, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Roc - Exam | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Oil Leak Pictures (Courtesy of Mechanic P. Blood) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Oil Leak Video (Courtesy of Mechanic P. Blood) | MOV file | Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA Inspector) | PDF, 17 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N24580 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.