# Accident 20091114051129A: Curtiss Wri TRAVEL AIR, Fort Myers, FL, November 14, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 14, 2009, 10:17 local time
- Place: Fort Myers, FL
- Airport: Page Field
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 26.5864° N, 81.8631° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.5864&lon=-81.8631&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3823, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3823) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Curtiss Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 (registry code 2621802, https://openairdocs.org/model/curtiss-wright-travel-air-4000) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental W670 series (registry code 17018, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-w670-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CURTISS WRI TRAVEL AIR
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR W670 SERIES
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 3
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 5,284 total, 60 in this make and model, 127 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA10LA063](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10LA063) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20091114051129A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 5 AROUND MIDFIELD, AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY, TOWER PERSONNEL OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN IN THE GRASS, ON THE SOUTH EDGE OF RUNWAY FIVE AT THE INTERSECTION OF TAXIWAY BRAVO. THE PASSENGER IN AIRCRAFT STATED, "THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED OFF THE RUNWAY AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 20-30 FEET AND AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT. AFTER MAKING CORRECTION AND RE-ALIGNING BACK TO THE CENTER LINE OF THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TOUCH DOWN AGAIN WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN BUT THIS TIME THE RIGHT WINGS WERE RAISED FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON AND AGAIN THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT AT A HEIGHT OF APPROX 35 FT. THE PILOT THAN ADDED THROTTLE IN WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ATTEMPT TO ABORT THE LANDING, WITH THE RIGHT WINGS AT AN ABNORMAL ANGLE, FAR FROM HORIZONTAL.  IMMEDIATELY AFTER, IT APPEARED THE RIGHT WING TIPS TOUCHED THE GROUND IN A GRASSY AREA CAUSING THE PLANE TO MAKE A SHARP AND ABRUPT TURN TO THE RIGHT, CAUSING THE PLANE TO SPIN AND CAUSING THE PROP AND ENGINE TO HIT THE GROUND WITH ENORMOUS FORCE."  THE PILOT STATED," JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWING, A GUST OF WIND HIT THE AIRCRAFT ON THE LEFT SIDE AND IT BECAME AIRBORNE AND CLIMBED APPROXIMATELY15-20FT. ABOVE THE RUNWAY, I CORRECTED WITH LEFT RUDDER AND AILERON, I ADDED FULL POWER AND THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND, I SHUT OFF CARB HEAT AND REAPPLIED POWER, THE ENGINE STILL DID NOT RESPOND AND THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN RIGHT WING LOW AND TURNED TO THE RIGHT.  I PUT THE AIRCRAFT IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE; AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TO THE RIGHT OFF THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK.THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, INDICATED IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE LOWER UNDERSIDE RIGHT WING TIP WHICH WAS EMBEDDED WITH DIRT AND GRASS AND DAMAGE TO PROPELLER INDICATES AIRCRAFT ENGINE HAD POWER. THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE, WINGS, AND LANDING GEAR WAS SUBSTANTIAL.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA10LA063](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10LA063), Nov 14, 2009: Curtiss Wright Travel AIR (N3823), Fort Myers, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in a ground loop. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's minimal experience in…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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