Higgins John H/Williams John D QUESTAIR VENTURE accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, October 27, 2019
On October 27, 2019 at about 3:53 pm local time, a 2019 Higgins John H/Williams John D QUESTAIR VENTURE, registered N35HW, was destroyed in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Daytona Beach, Florida (Spruce Creek airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's unstabilized approach, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing, loss of directional control, and impact with a tree and then terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2019 · about 3:53 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Spruce Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Higgins John H/Williams John D QUESTAIR VENTURE MDL 20, built 2019
- Registration
- N35HW · no longer on the register · serial 99
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during landing, his approach was unstable with an excessive descent rate. Surveillance video footage showed that the airplane touched down hard at the start of the displaced threshold, bounced, veered right, exited the side of the runway, clipped a tree, and then impacted terrain. A postcrash fire ensued. The airplane sustained thermal and substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot report that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,002 ft by 176 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:47 pm from KEVB, 5 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 March 6, 2020. 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 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Video File | 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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.