Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 4000 accident near Port St. Lucie, Florida, April 16, 2004
On April 16, 2004 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 4000, registered N6425, was substantially damaged in an accident near Port St. Lucie, Florida (Treasure Coast Airpark 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in an inadvertent swerve, the right main landing gear wheel separating, and the airplane impacting trees and incurring structural damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2004 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Port St. Lucie, Florida · Treasure Coast Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 4000
- Registration
- N6425 · registry record · serial 766
- 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 rollout the "right wheel broke and directional control was impossible." He further stated that the airplane incurred damage to the lower right wing's three nose ribs, which needed to be replaced. The FAA did not respond to the scene, but two individuals who reside at the airport stated that they were at the scene they 'walked" the runway", and noted the marks made by the effect of landing gear. They said that there were no holes in the runway, and that they believed that the landing gear wheel broke from what appeared to be excessive side loads imposed during what appeared to be the beginning of a ground loop during the landing roll.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 36,125 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 30,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2003; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R680 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAL Lakeland FL at 10:30 pm
- Destination: FL37 Port St. Lucie FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 060° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from FPR
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.
Other NTSB records under N6425 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.