North American NAVION accident near Palmetto, Florida, October 11, 2020
On October 11, 2020 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1947 North American NAVION, registered N8698H, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Palmetto, Florida (Airport Manatee). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions, which led to a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2020 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Palmetto, Florida · Airport Manatee · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American NAVION, built 1947 · all NAVIONs on the register
- Registration
- N8698H · registry record · serial NAV-4-689
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was attempting to depart from a turf runway in gusting, left-quartering headwind conditions. He applied full power and was utilizing a soft-field takeoff technique. As the airplane began to lift off, it encountered a “large wind gust” from the left and departed the runway to the right. The pilot’s remedial actions had “no effect,” and the airplane impacted a row of hangars that ran parallel to the runway. The airplane was destroyed by impact damage and a postcrash fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have prevented 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
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Airport structure › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 234 in this make and model; 94 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,816.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 2020; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: BKV Brooksville FL
- Runway 25, 3,120 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 89°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:30 pm from 48X
Weather report (METAR): KSPG 111953Z 23011KT 10SM -RA FEW017 FEW023 SCT110 27/25 A2988 RMK AO2 RAB1857 SLP117 P0000 T02720250
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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 ERA21LA017.