Canadair CL-600 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, August 17, 1999
On August 17, 1999 at about 3:47 am local time, a Canadair CL-600, registered N63HJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Fort Lauderdale Executive airport). It was a positioning 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 failure of the flight crew to main directional control of the airplane after landing, resulting in the airplane going off the side of the runway and colliding with a taxiway sign, collapsing the nose landing gear, and causing substantial damage to the airplane. A factor in the accident was flight crew fatigue due to being on duty for about 17 hours 45 minutes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1999 · about 3:47 am local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Fort Lauderdale Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair CL-600 · all CL-600s on the register
- Registration
- N63HJ · no longer on the register · serial 1021
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While enroute from Pueblo, Colorado, to Columbia, South Carolina, the captain's windshield delaminated, and the flight diverted to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for repairs. The flight crew stated the first officer was flying the airplane and had been instructed by the captain to make a firm landing at Fort Lauderdale to get the airplanes weight on the wheels, due to the airplane being light. The landing was firm and the first officer activated the engine thrust reversers. As the nose landing gear touched down, the airplane began veering to the left. Attempts to control the veer to the left were unsuccessful and the airplane ran off the left side of the runway. The airplane then ran over a taxiway and collided with a taxiway sign and the concrete base for the sign. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest. Examination of the runway showed alternating dark and light marks from the left main landing gear tire were present on the runway about 160 feet before marks from the right main landing gear tire are present. Post accident examination of the airplanes landing gear, tires, wheels, bakes, spoilers, and engine thrust reversers, showed no evidence of pre-accident failure or malfunction. At the time of the accident the flight crew had been on duty for about 17 hours 45 minutes.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,162 hours in all; 540 in this make and model; 274 in the last 90 days; 95 in the last 30 days; 8,097 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,503 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 1, 1999; 123 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 41,250 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming AL502 L2C (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hop-A-Jet. INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PUB Pueblo CO
- Destination: FXE
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from FXE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.