American Legend Aircraft CO AL11 accident near Fort Myers, Florida, March 3, 2024
On March 3, 2024 at about 7:05 pm local time, a 2008 American Legend Aircraft CO AL11, registered N729CJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Fort Myers, Florida (Page Fld airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 with a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2024 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Myers, Florida · Page Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Legend Aircraft CO AL11 NO SERIES, built 2008 · all AL11s on the register
- Registration
- N729CJ · registry record · serial AL-1133
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The piloted reported while practicing takeoffs and landings, on her third approach to land, the air traffic control tower reported an 8-knot crosswind. During touchdown, she reported that the airplane bounced several times and subsequently during the landing roll, the wind shifted, and the airplane pulled to the left. The pilot attempted to maintain directional control, but the airplane continued its path to the left and departed the runway into the grass. Upon exiting the runway, the airplane struck a runway distance remaining sign, which substantially damaged the left wing and collapsed the left main landing gear. The pilot 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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 110 hours in all; 84 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 715 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2023; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,157 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 715 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05/2, 6,406 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from FMY
Weather report (METAR): KFMY 031853Z 19007KT 10SM SCT110 27/19 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP176 T02720189=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 21, 2024. 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 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 ERA24LA129.