Beechcraft C23 N9360S

Summary

On 20 August 2023 at about 16:00 local time, a Beechcraft C23 registered N9360S was involved in an accident near Greer, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 August 2023 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Greer, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Chandelle Airport (SC72)

Coordinates

34.8354, -82.1455

Aircraft

Beechcraft C23

Registration

N9360S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA342

2 people died.

A partial loss of engine power during the initial climb due to the formation of carburetor ice, resulting in reduced climb capability. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed during the emergency descent, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and mechanic were performing a postmaintenance test flight following an annual inspection of the airplane. A witness reported that the airplane took off from a private airstrip and, as the airplane passed his house, he heard a slight reduction in engine speed followed by a slight increase. The engine did not sputter or backfire. The airplane then turned toward the northwest and reached an altitude of about 500 ft above the ground. The witness observed that the left wing dipped twice then leveled off, and the airplane descended as it turned to a westerly heading. The airplane descended from his view behind a tree line, then he heard it impact the ground. The witness’s statement was generally consistent with a video that captured the accident sequence; however, the video also showed that the airplane developed a sink rate with the nose slightly up, then the nose dropped shortly before ground impact. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or anomaly that would have precluded normal operation. Although damage to the propeller was indicative of rotation at impact, the signatures indicated that the engine may have been running at reduced power. The temperature and dew point near the accident site were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide (idle) power. Although it is not known how long the airplane was operated on the ground before takeoff, ground operations, such as taxi, are typically performed at low engine power settings. Additionally, it is not known if or for how long the pilot may have used carburetor heat before taking off. Given the weather conditions at the time of the accident and the lack of any mechanical issues found during the postaccident examination, it is likely that carburetor icing formed, resulting in a loss of engine power during the initial climb after takeoff. It is also possible that, while diagnosing the loss of engine power, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decay, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.