Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR N3823
14 November 2009 · Fort Myers, Florida, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 14 November 2009 at about 15:18 local time, a Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR registered N3823, operated by Lucky Lindy's Flying Service, was involved in an accident near Fort Myers, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:18
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fort Myers, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Page Field Airport (FMY)
- Coordinates
- 26.5864, -81.8631
- Aircraft
- Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR
- Registration
- N3823
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Lucky Lindy's Flying Service
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Fort Myers → Fort Myers
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA10LA063
People
3 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
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 the airplane make and model.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During approach, the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane flew along at 20-30 feet above the runway until he was at midfield. The biplane touched down, bounced back in to the air, touched down again, and bounced once more prior to touching down for a third time in a nose-high attitude. The biplane then veered to the right, the right wing dipped, and the biplane cartwheeled, coming to rest inverted. The pilot had 60 hours of flight experience in the biplane. The previous owner had advised the pilot that landing the biplane took patience to land it perfectly and that attempting to land the biplane on asphalt with low experience could cause the biplane to bump repeatedly. He also advised that if the pilot pulled back on the control stick too soon during landing it could result in ballooning and porpoising.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Nov 2009 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Torrance, California, United States | Smith Richard Charles | No injuries | - |
| 30 Aug 2009 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR | San Diego, California, United States | Daniels Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 9 Apr 2008 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Carlsbad, California, United States | Barnstormng Adventures | No injuries | - |
| 26 Aug 2007 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Blaine, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2006 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Jackson, Mississippi, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2006 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR C-4000 | Elmira, Oregon, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 2009 | Flight CTSW | Okeechobee, Florida, United States | Bowen Donald P Trustee | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2009 | Vollenweider R/Hurst R F VANS RV-9A | Marianna, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jun 2009 | Piper J3C-65 | Alamana, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Oct 2009 | Butler AEROSTAR | Brooksville, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Apr 2009 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Hilliard, Florida, United States | Garrison Chadrick | No injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 2009 | Tecnam P2002 SIERRA | Lake Wales, Florida, United States | PLG Aviation Inc | Minor injuries | - |