Beech 35J accident near Avon Park, Florida, August 10, 2003
On August 10, 2003 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Beech 35J, registered N4975B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Avon Park, Florida (Avon Park airport). It was a personal 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 pilot to maintain directional control during landing resulting in the airplane drifting to the right, encountering standing water on the runway edge, and running off the runway where it incurred substantial damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2003 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Avon Park, Florida · Avon Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35J · all 35Js on the register
- Registration
- N4975B · registry record · serial D5567
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during landing on runway 22, crosswinds from the southeast pushed the airplane to the right of runway center line where standing water caused the airplane to hydroplane out of control.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,262 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,078 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 9, 2003; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVO Avon Park FL at 7:30 pm
- Destination: AVO Avon Park FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,364 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from KBOW, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.