Amateur-built CRIQUET accident near East Palestine, Ohio, May 24, 2000
On May 24, 2000 at about 1:30 pm local time, a amateur-built CRIQUET, registered N22CA, was destroyed in an accident near East Palestine, Ohio (Aero Flight Center airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the powerplant to produce adequate power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's continued operation of the airplane with known deficiencies.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2000 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- East Palestine, Ohio · Aero Flight Center · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CRIQUET
- Registration
- N22CA · registry record · serial CA6-601
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The original engine did not produce maximum power, and the pilot returned it to the foreign manufacturer for repair. While repairing the engine, the manufacturer loaned another engine to the pilot. The airplane performed better with the second engine, and the pilot did not have any problems. The original engine was returned, and the pilot reinstalled it in the airplane. The engine was returned with no paperwork, and the pilot did not know what repairs were completed. The pilot started the engine and performed a run-up. He then shut down the engine and told a witness it was producing 50-100 rpm less than maximum power. The pilot made adjustments to the carburetor, and started the engine again. He performed a 20 minute run-up, and departed Runway 29, a 3,000 foot long runway. Witnesses stated that the airplane usually used about half of the runway for takeoff. The airplane used two-thirds to three-fourths the runway during the accident flight, and struck trees at the end of the runway. The accident flight was the first flight after the pilot reinstalled the engine. The engine was consumed by fire, and unable to be thoroughly examined.
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: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 27, 2000; 0 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lom M332AK (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 55OI at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 3,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from BVI, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC00LA141.