- Date
- May 18, 1991, 14:05 local (19:05 UTC)
- Place
- Dothan, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3549RBeech 23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910518016399A
- Case key
- 8408
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of the cylinder head because of previous overheated operations. Factors in the accident were the pilot's inaccurate approach which resulted in the loss of directional control and subsequent swerve into the fence.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported a loss of engine power on takeoff during the initial climb at about 800 feet MSL. Airport elevation was 150 feet. He flew a close downwind leg which resulted in overshooting the extended center line when he turned onto final. The airplane was landed with the left wheel on the parallel taxiway & the right wheel in the grass. The airplane swerved right into a fence. One clyinder head was found broken away from the cylinder body. The cylinder head showed evidence of overheating & there was exhaust gas impingement & blackening of the fracture surface.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3549R
- Reported as
- Beech 23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M722
- Airframe hours
- 2,102
- Engine
- Continental I0-346-A, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Headley, Charles E.
- Registered owner
- Headley, Charles E.
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 15, 1990 · 21 hours before
- Destination
- PFN · Panama City, FL
- Airport
- DHN · Dothan, runway 13, 8,498 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 307 total · 216 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DHN, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.