Piper PA-12 accident near Key Largo, Florida, April 27, 1997
On April 27, 1997 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N4141M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Key Largo, Florida (Ocean Reef Club 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 a crosswind landing, which resulted in an inadvertent ground swerve and collision with bushes and terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 1997 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Key Largo, Florida · Ocean Reef Club · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N4141M · registry record
- 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 crosswind, and the airplane veered to the right on landing rollout and collided with bushes and trees. Review of the weather at the time of the accident revealed no recorded 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X09
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from HST, 22 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.