Beech 76 accident near Crystal River, Florida, July 2, 2020
On July 2, 2020 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1978 Beech 76, registered N20131, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Crystal River, Florida (Crystal River-Captain Tom Davi airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's delayed remedial action during a simulated engine failure on takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2020 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Crystal River, Florida · Crystal River-Captain Tom Davi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 76 No Series, built 1978 · all 76s on the register
- Registration
- N20131 · no longer on the register · serial ME-82
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was conducting a training flight with the private pilot in the multiengine airplane. The flight instructor said that shortly after the airplane began to accelerate down the runway, she pulled the left throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure on takeoff and the private pilot "froze." She told him to bring the engine power to idle and brake, which he did, but the airplane was already veering left. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane and shut off power to each engine, but the airplane exited the runway and impacted an embankment resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The private pilot said that he responded to the simulated engine failure by removing thrust on both engines, applying the brakes, and trying to maintain directional control; however, "Despite the measures taken, the plane skidded off the runway." The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,651 hours in all; 231 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 17, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 339 hours in all; 7 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 2, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,968.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 17, 2020; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360-AIG6D (piston); 4,698 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LO-360-AIG6D (piston); 5,969 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CGC Crystal River FL at 8:00 pm
- Destination: CGC Crystal River FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,557 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from CGC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA20CA239.