- Date
- August 14, 1995, 19:36 local (23:36 UTC)
- Place
- Spafford, NY
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4798JBeech 23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 27, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950814024029A
- Case key
- 39028
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons resulting in a forced landing over unsuitable terrain and the subsequent collision with trees.
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
Ten minutes into the flight, at an altitude of 2500 feet, the engine began to lose power. The pilot's attempt to regain power was unsuccessful. The engine continued to lose power and the pilot made a forced landing in a field where the aircraft struck trees and brush. The examination of the engine did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction.
Factual narrative
On August 14, 1995, at 1936, eastern daylight time, a Beech 23, N4798J, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Spafford, New York. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local, personal flight departed the Skaneateles Aero Drome, Skaneateles, New York. It was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated:
...Proceeded south to approximately 2500 feet and approximately 10 minutes after departure...the engine developed a loss of power. Mixture, throttle, boost pump were checked. I then turned east toward open fields. The airplane continued to lose power and altitude....I then set up for best glide speed and landed the airplane in an open field impacting brush and trees at the edge of the field....
Postaccident examination by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector did not reveal any preimpact anomalies with the airframe or engine. Additionally, the FAA Inspector stated that vapor lock was suspect; however, could not be confirmed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4798J
- Reported as
- Beech 23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MA227
- Airframe hours
- 4,126
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Nick Coblio
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1995 · 132 hours before
- Departed
- 6B9 · Skaneatles, NY
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 530 total · 130 in this make and model · 475 as pilot in command · 61 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.