Boeing A75N1(PT17) accident near Weirsdale, Florida, May 11, 2012
On May 11, 2012 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Boeing A75N1(PT17), registered N71327, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Weirsdale, Florida (Love Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing in a gusty variable crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2012 · about 9:30 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Weirsdale, Florida · Love Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing A75N1(PT17) · all A75N1(PT17)s on the register
- Registration
- N71327 · registry record · serial 75-756
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was landing on a turf runway when a gust of wind caused the airplane to drift off the left side of the runway. The airplane traveled down an embankment, struck a tree, and came to rest nose down. The pilot stated that during the landing, the wind was gusting up to 18 knots from varying directions (initially a headwind, then a left crosswind, and then a right crosswind). He further stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination revealed damage to the wings and right horizontal stabilizer. The recorded wind at an airport located about 10 miles southeast of the accident site about 20 minutes after the accident was from 110 degrees at 10 knots.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 818 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,145 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 4, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 11, 2012; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W670 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 97FL Weirsdale FL at 9:00 pm
- Destination: 97FL Weirsdale FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 2,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from LEE, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 15, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo: Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N71327 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Boeing A75 Stearman Kaydet 977 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Boeing 6,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental W670 986 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Love Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 984 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,709 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA12CA334.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.