Piper PA-34-200 accident near Stuart, Florida, April 9, 1997
On April 9, 1997 at about 6:33 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N2HS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stuart, Florida (Stuart-Whitman Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 a crosswind landing. Factors were the crosswind and his improper level off.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 1997 · about 6:33 pm local time
- Place
- Stuart, Florida · Stuart-Whitman Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N2HS · registry record · serial 34-8070022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he was landing with a gusty quartering crosswind. He maintained a higher speed to compensate for the gusts, touched down, bounced and the nose gear collided with the runway. Review of weather conditions revealed no recorded record of turbulence, downdrafts, gusts, or windshear.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,236 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 1996; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 29J Rock Hill SC at 3:45 pm
- Destination: SUA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 5,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MCO, 120 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.