Everglades Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Everglades City, Florida 33929
Monday, March 4, 1991 11:47 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING & WAS ADVISED THAT THE WIND AT A NEARBY ARPT WAS GUSTING TO 22 KTS FROM 300 DEGREES. HE OVERFLEW THE ARPT TO OBSERVE THE WINDSOCK WHICH INDICATED THAT THE WIND WAS LIGHT FROM THE NORTH. HE THEN ENTERED THE PATTERN TO LAND ON RWY 33 & WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, A GUST OF WIND RAISED THE LT WING. HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THIS BUT THE ACFT DESCENDED & CRASHED ON THE RWY. ACCORDING TO A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY WHO WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT, HE ESTIMATED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM THE WEST GUSTING TO 30 KTS. REVIEW OF THE ARPT LAYOUT REVEALED THAT TREES BLOCK THE WINDSOCK.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INFORMATION GIVEN DURING A WEATHER BRIEFING WAS DISREGARDED, IN-FLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH WIND GUST, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS INADEQUATE PLACEMENT OF A WINDSOCK WHICH WAS BLOCKED BY TREES RESULTING IN AN INCORRECT INDICATION OF THE DIRECTION AND VELOCITY OF THE WIND.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/4/1991
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1147
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City EVERGLADES CITY
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33929
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport EVERGLADES
Event Location Nearest Airport ID X01
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 5
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1145 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 313
Weather Observation Facility ID APF
Elevation of weather observation facility 9
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 28
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 20
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 300
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 22
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 425
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43712
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 9:33AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N84461
NTSB Number MIA91LA092
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172K
Aircraft Series Identifier 172K
Aircraft Serial Number 17258480
Certified Max Gross Weight 2300
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Nov 18 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 61
Airframe Hours 5194
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name VERA, PEDRO J
Aircraft Owner Street Address 6035 WILEY ST.
Aircraft Owner City HOLLYWOOD
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33023
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name VERA, PEDRO J
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 6035 WILEY ST.
Operator City HOLLYWOOD
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33023
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code HWO
Departure City HOLLYWOOD
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1045
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 33
Runway Length 2400
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --