Piper PA-22-20 accident near Jacksonville, Florida, July 1, 2002
On July 1, 2002 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-20, registered N1693A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida (Cecil Field 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the solo student/owner to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff in a crosswind, which resulted in the airplane veering off the runway, a collision with a runway light, and a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2002 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Cecil Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-20 · all PA-22-20s on the register
- Registration
- N1693A · registry record · serial 22-449
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot/owner of the accident airplane said he possesses a solo endorsement to operate the airplane, and that there was a flight instructor with him in the airplane who had not yet received a tail wheel endorsement to operate the airplane. He said the touch-and-go landing had been uneventful, but during takeoff the airplane began to "weather vane", so he retarded the throttle control to idle and applied left rudder control input in an attempt to maintain control, but the airplane veered off the runway, hitting a runway light, and then swung around incurring substantial damage. The flight instructor seated next to pilot/owner stated that when the airplane started to veer off the runway he also applied rudder control input but the airplane continued toward the right edge of the runway and within 5 to 8 seconds swung through an arc of 180 degrees and he was unable to maintain directional control. Both occupants of the airplane said that prior to the accident there had been no failure or malfunction to the airplane or any of its systems.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 71 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 25 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,270 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,090 as pilot in command; 820 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 10, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,263.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2001; 46.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HEG Jacksonville FL at 3:14 pm
- Destination: VQQ Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36L, 8,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 2:48 pm from VQQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.