Beechcraft C23 N23FD

Summary

On 25 January 2023 at about 00:45 local time, a Beechcraft C23 registered N23FD was involved in an accident near Rich County, Utah, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 January 2023 at 00:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Rich County, Utah, United States

Coordinates

41.3950, -111.3972

Aircraft

Beechcraft C23

Registration

N23FD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Evanston → Twin Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR23LA099

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inability to maintain altitude following an encounter with turbulence and adverse wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that she encountered unexpected winds while flying at night. After multiple encounters with strong wind gusts and turbulence, the pilot lost control of the airplane and it started to spin downward. She was able to successfully recover from the spin, but was forced to search for a suitable landing site as she was unable to maintain altitude. The pilot executed a forced landing in an open snow-covered area and the airplane stopped abruptly, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.