At about 1745 Pacific time, a Beech C23 lost engine power and crashed near Oak Shores, killing the flight instructor, student pilot and one passenger. An additional passenger was seriously injured. The surviving passenger said the pilots reported over the intercom that there was an engine problem and that they were headed for a gravel landing strip a few miles away. The airplane cleared a ridge top, but collided with trees about a quarter-mile from the strip. An Alert Notice and an ELT signal led rescuers to the crash site. Initial inspection showed an exhaust valve apparently broke off.
April 27, Oak Shores, Calif. / Beech Musketeer
At about 1745 Pacific time, a Beech C23 lost engine power and crashed near Oak Shores, killing the flight instructor, student pilot and one passenger. An additional passenger was seriously injured. The surviving passenger said the pilots reported over the intercom that there was an engine problem and that they were headed for a gravel landing strip a few miles away. The airplane cleared a ridge top, but collided with trees about a quarter-mile from the strip. An Alert Notice and an ELT signal led rescuers to the crash site. Initial inspection showed an exhaust valve apparently broke off....
Key Takeaways:
- A Beech C23 crashed near Oak Shores, California, after experiencing engine power loss, resulting in three fatalities (flight instructor, student pilot, one passenger) and one seriously injured passenger.
- The pilots reported an engine problem and attempted an emergency landing at a nearby gravel strip, but the aircraft collided with trees approximately a quarter-mile short of the intended landing site.
- Rescuers located the crash site via an Alert Notice and ELT signal, with initial inspections pointing to a broken exhaust valve as the apparent cause of the engine failure.
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