Beech C23 accident near Greer, SC
On August 20, 2023, a Beech C23 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Greer, SC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 20, 2023
- Place
- Greer, SC
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.835°N, 82.145°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230820192900
Official records · ERA23LA342
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 20, 2023, about 1200 eastern daylight time, a Beech C23 airplane, N9360S, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Greer, South Carolina. The private pilot and the mechanic-certificated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 postmaintenance test flight after an annual inspection. A witness who lived at the fly-in community where the airplane was maintained reported that the airplane took off from runway 3 at Chandelle Airport (SC72), Greer, South Carolina. 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 account of the accident flight was generally consistent with a video of the accident sequence captured by a camera from an unnamed source. The video, which was broadcast by a local news station, showed the airplane on departure. The left wing dipped slightly twice, then the right wing dipped. The airplane then developed a sink rate with the nose slightly up. Shortly before ground impact, the airplane’s nose dropped, and the left wing dipped again. The airplane collided with the ground in a slight left-wing-low attitud
Probable cause
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.
More accidents in SC
- Beech 200, Feb 4, 2006
- Piper PA-32R-300, Jul 2, 2023
- Beech 58TC, Dec 26, 1991
- Learjet LR60, Sep 20, 2008
- Mooney M20J, Apr 17, 2026
Browse: South Carolina · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
