- Date
- April 16, 2004, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Port St. Lucie, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6425Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 4000
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040416032719A
- Case key
- 59311
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 landing, which resulted in an inadvertent swerve, the right main landing gear wheel separating, and the airplane impacting trees and incurring structural 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 pilot stated that during rollout the "right wheel broke and directional control was impossible." He further stated that the airplane incurred damage to the lower right wing's three nose ribs, which needed to be replaced. The FAA did not respond to the scene, but two individuals who reside at the airport stated that they were at the scene they 'walked" the runway", and noted the marks made by the effect of landing gear. They said that there were no holes in the runway, and that they believed that the landing gear wheel broke from what appeared to be excessive side loads imposed during what appeared to be the beginning of a ground loop during the landing roll.
Factual narrative
On April 16, 2004, about 1900 eastern standard time, a Curtis-Wright Travel Air 4000, N6425, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, incurred damage while landing at Treasure Coast Airpark, Port St. Lucie, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airline transport-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated in Lakeland, Florida, the same day, about 1750.
The pilot stated that during rollout the "right wheel broke and directional control was impossible." He further stated that the airplane incurred damage to the lower right wing's three nose ribs, which needed to be replaced.
The FAA did not respond to the scene of the accident, however, two individuals who reside at the airport stated that they were at the scene of the accident, and they volunteered information to the NTSB. These individuals stated that they 'walked" the runway", and noted the marks made by the effect of landing gear on the grass, and that there were no holes in the runway. They further stated that they believed that the landing gear wheel broke from what appeared to be excessive side loads imposed during what appeared to be the beginning of a ground loop during the landing roll.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6425
- Reported as
- Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 4000
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 766
- Airframe hours
- 2,500
- Engine
- Lycoming R680, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Frank L Boyce
- Registered owner
- John L Boyce
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2003 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- LAL · Lakeland, FL
- Destination
- FL37 · Port St. Lucie, FL
- Airport
- FL37 · Treasure Coast Airpark, runway 27, 4,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 36,125 total · 100 in this make and model · 30,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 60° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- FPR
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 N6425 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.