Beech 33 accident near Battleground, Washington, July 20, 2019
On July 20, 2019 at about 11:20 pm local time, a 1988 Beech 33, registered N873BC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Battleground, Washington (Parkside Airpark airport). 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
A failure of the throttle control assembly for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence, which resulted in a runway overrun and impact with an obstacle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2019 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Battleground, Washington · Parkside Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 33 F33A, built 1988
- Registration
- N873BC · registry record · serial CE-1227
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot selected the most favorable runway and flew his approach to land at his home airport. The airplane touched down normally near the runway threshold at the pilot's normal landing speed. Based on landing distance calculations, he should have been able to stop the airplane before the end of the runway. However, it was not until the airplane was about midfield that the pilot realized the airplane was not decelerating. At this point, the pilot attempted to reduce power further by twisting the knob of the throttle control counterclockwise, but the engine power did not decrease. As the airplane rapidly approached the end of the runway, the pilot used the mixture control to shut down the engine, but the airplane overran the runway end and the left wing impacted a pole, which resulted in substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies with the engine and most of the engine controls except for the throttle control. During engine runs, the throttle knob push button became intermittently stuck in a depressed position. Normally, turning the throttle knob counterclockwise from this position would reduce power; however, during the postaccident engine runs, a corresponding minor increase in power was observed. Although disassembly of the throttle mechanism revealed a loose nut in the throttle control assembly, it likely did not contribute to the throttle failure, as the nut would not have affected the knob’s use to make power adjustments. Further, the throttle control could still be manipulated by rotating the throttle knob during the postaccident engine run. Based on the pilot's practices, it is likely that the pushbutton became partially depressed when the pilot reduced the engine power to descend while inbound to his home airport. When the pilot realized the airplane had not decelerated and attempted to make a minor power adjustment by rotating the throttle knob counterclockwise, the throttle control failed, and the pilot either experienced sustained or a subtle increase in engine power, which resulted in a runway overrun and impact with an obstacle. The reason for the failure of the throttle control assembly could not be determined based on available evidence.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Failure
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,650 hours in all; 960 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 19, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,634 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 28, 2019; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BB37B (piston); 1,634 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0S9 Port Townsend WA at 10:11 pm
- Destination: WA87 Battleground WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway E, 2,100 ft by 25 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm, 90 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
8 documents, released by the NTSB on May 11, 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 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversations | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB Aircraft Examination Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Landing Distance Excerpt from Pilot's Operating Handbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Aircraft Logbooks | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.
