- Date
- October 11, 2020, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palmetto, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8698HNorth American Navion
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20201011012069A
- Case key
- 102130
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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions, which led to a runway excursion.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot was attempting to depart from a turf runway in gusting, left-quartering headwind conditions. He applied full power and was utilizing a soft-field takeoff technique. As the airplane began to lift off, it encountered a “large wind gust” from the left and departed the runway to the right. The pilot’s remedial actions had “no effect,” and the airplane impacted a row of hangars that ran parallel to the runway. The airplane was destroyed by impact damage and a postcrash fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8698H
- Reported as
- North American Navion
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- NAV-4-689
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 4,816.9
- Engine
- Continental E-225, 225 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 12, 2020 · 40 hours before
- Destination
- BKV · Brooksville, FL
- Airport
- 48X · Airport Manatee, runway 25, 3,120 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 234 in this make and model · 94 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 89 °F
- Observed at
- 48X
- METAR
- KSPG 111953Z 23011KT 10SM -RA FEW017 FEW023 SCT110 27/25 A2988 RMK AO2 RAB1857 SLP117 P0000 T02720250
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 18, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8698H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.