- Date
- July 25, 2003, 14:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Crystal River, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N643AMAircraft Mfg & Dev. CH2T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20030725022039A
- Case key
- 57592
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 student pilot 's failure to maintain control while landing in crosswind which resulted in airplane departing the runway and incurring damage.
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
The student pilot stated that on final approach to land he had been compensating for a right-quartering headwind, and just before the landing flare a gust of wind from the right affected the airplane. He said he over-corrected for the wind, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway into a muddy area. As the airplane departed the runway, the left main landing gear wheel dug into the mud, and the airplane pivoted to the left, striking some bushes and damaging both wings. Prior to the accident, the student pilot said that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.
Factual narrative
On July 25, 2003, about 1435 eastern daylight time, an Aircraft MFG & Development Company CH2000, N643AM, registered to and operated by National Aviation Holdings, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, departed the runway during the landing roll at Crystal River, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules plan was filed. The airplane incurred substantial damage and the student pilot was not injured. The flight originated from St. Petersburg, Florida, on the same day, about 1300.
The student pilot stated that he was conducting a cross-country flight from St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, St. Petersburg, Florida, to Gainesville, Florida, and he encountered deteriorating weather as he approached Gainesville, Florida, so he elected to deviate to Crystal River, Florida. He said that on final approach to land he had been compensating for a right-quartering headwind, and just before the landing flare a gust of wind from the right affected the airplane. He said he over-corrected for the wind, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway into a muddy area. As the airplane departed the runway, the left main landing gear wheel dug into the mud, and the airplane pivoted to the left, striking some bushes and damaging both wings. Prior to the accident, the student pilot said that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N643AM
- Reported as
- Aircraft Mfg & Dev. CH2T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-0054
- Airframe hours
- 1,145
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming O-235-N2C, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- National Aviation Holdings
- Registered owner
- National Aviation Holdings
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 18, 2003 · 56 hours before
- Departed
- PIE · St. Peterburg, FL
- Destination
- GNV · Gainesville, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- CGC · Crystal River Airport, runway 27, 4,555 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 30 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- CGC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.