Amateur-built GLASAIR 2SFT accident near Apalachicola, Florida, June 30, 1996
On June 30, 1996 at about 2:45 pm local time, a amateur-built GLASAIR 2SFT, registered N16CD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Apalachicola, Florida (St George Island 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
Inadequate application of throttle input and up elevator input by the pilot-in-command. Contributing to the accident was the in-flight encounter with a downdraft and inadequate design of the airplane by the kit manufacturer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 1996 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Apalachicola, Florida · St George Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASAIR 2SFT GLASAIR 2S
- Registration
- N16CD · registry record · serial 2043
- 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 she entered the traffic pattern to land on runway 14 with a crosswind from the left of about 10 knots. While on short final approach with partial flaps extended and an indicated airspeed of 90 miles-per-hour, the flight encountered a downdraft. She added only partial power and the airplane landed short of the runway separating the nose landing gear. She further stated that the engine responded when she added power and she only applied a slight pitch up correction when adding power. Examination of the airplane revealed that the 4 AN3-14A bolts that secure the nose gear trunnion attach plate to the nose gear support rib were bent and the threads were stripped. The original prototype engine/propeller combination was approximately 100 pounds lighter than the installed engine/propeller combination but with the same size and number of bolts used to secure the nose gear trunnion attach plate.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 748 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 426 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 1995; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VPC Cartersville GA at 1:15 pm
- Destination: F47
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,700 ft by 65 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from PAM, 42 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.