20260501005429A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech C23 · Bangor, ME · May 1, 2026

Date
May 1, 2026 · 16:04 local
Place
Bangor, ME
Airport
Bangor International
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
BFYS
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N18516
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA26LA196
Reported as
Beech C23
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,045 total605 in this make and model124 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The subject aircraft, a privacy data omitted, departed runway 33 for a part 141 training flight with a certified flight instructor and a private pilot aboard. The private pilot was pilot-in-command for departure. During climb-out at approximately 1,000 feet, the crew declared an emergency for engine out, the CFI took the controls and executed a RH turn to attempt a landing on runway 15. The aircraft initially touched down past the threshold in the safety area and bounced at least twice. It then exited the safety area to the right (south) of the ILS antenna array. The nose landing gear collapsed when the aircraft departed the hard surface into the grass. The right wing subsequently struck a vehicle warning sign at a service road crossing, pulling the aircraft to the right. The aircraft came to rest facing south, approximately 100 feet from the end of the safety area and down the hill. The crew exited the aircraft uninjured. Post-accident examination revealed a nearly empty left wing fuel tank and greater than 20 gallons in the right wing fuel tank. The fuel tanks were not compromised during the crash sequence. We are awaiting futher data.

As the FAA filed it

THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT, A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DEPARTED RUNWAY 33 FOR A PART 141 TRAINING FLIGHT WITH A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND A PRIVATE PILOT ABOARD. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS PILOT-IN-COMMAND FOR DEPARTURE. DURING CLIMB-OUT AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET, THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY FOR ENGINE OUT, THE CFI TOOK THE CONTROLS AND EXECUTED A RH TURN TO ATTEMPT A LANDING ON RUNWAY 15. THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN PAST THE THRESHOLD IN THE SAFETY AREA AND BOUNCED AT LEAST TWICE. IT THEN EXITED THE SAFETY AREA TO THE RIGHT (SOUTH) OF THE ILS ANTENNA ARRAY. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE HARD SURFACE INTO THE GRASS. THE RIGHT WING SUBSEQUENTLY STRUCK A VEHICLE WARNING SIGN AT A SERVICE ROAD CROSSING, PULLING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST FACING SOUTH, APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE END OF THE SAFETY AREA AND DOWN THE HILL. THE CREW EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED A NEARLY EMPTY LEFT WING FUEL TANK AND GREATER THAN 20 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK. THE FUEL TANKS WERE NOT COMPROMISED DURING THE CRASH SEQUENCE. WE ARE AWAITING FUTHER DATA.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.