Amateur-built Cruiser TR-4 accident near Pembroke Pines, Florida, April 18, 2002
On April 18, 2002 at about 12:15 pm local time, a amateur-built Cruiser TR-4, registered N98WG, was destroyed in an accident near Pembroke Pines, Florida (North Perry airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot-in-command delayed initiating a go-around and failed to obtain sufficient altitude to clear obstacles at the departure end of the airport which resulted in an in-flight collision with power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2002 · about 12:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pembroke Pines, Florida · North Perry · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Cruiser TR-4
- Registration
- N98WG · no longer on the register · serial 4005
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was cleared for a straight-in approach to runway 9R, from about 10 miles west of the airport, and the pilot was told to report 1 mile out. On the first approach the pilot started to go around just before the arrival end of the runway threshold. The pilot was cleared by the ATC Tower, for "right traffic," and return for a landing on runway 9R. On the second attempted landing witnesses saw the airplane touchdown past midfield and abort the landing. The airplane stayed low to the ground just above the trees, made a left turn toward the north, and started descending behind the trees. The airplane impacted with power lines about 100 feet above the ground and came to rest in the front yard of a private residence about 1 mile east of the airport. There was no post crash fire nor was there any evidence found to indicate a fire in the engine assembly. The examination of the engine assembly and the testing of the fuel pump, throttle/fuel metering unit, and the 6-fuel injector nozzles, revealed no discrepancies.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 310 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 4, 2002; 91.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-ES1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Kendall FL at 11:15 am
- Destination: HWO Pembroke Pines FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9R, 3,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 12:21 pm from KHWO, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.