Cessna 337C accident near Chesapeake, Virginia, July 11, 2000
On July 11, 2000 at about 8:58 pm local time, a Cessna 337C, registered N2574S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chesapeake, Virginia (Chesapeake Regional 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 follow the published go-around procedure. Factors were the pilot's improper evaluation of the wind conditions, and a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2000 · about 8:58 pm local time
- Place
- Chesapeake, Virginia · Chesapeake Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337C · all 337Cs on the register
- Registration
- N2574S · registry record · serial 337-0874
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated pilot observed precipitation and low clouds along his route of flight, and chose to divert to an airport. While landing at the airport, he observed varying winds. He encountered a tailwind and heard the stall warning horn activate. He added power and completely retracted the flaps, with the intent to go-around, but the airplane contacted the runway and traveled off the right side. At the time of the accident, reported winds indicated a tailwind of 10 knots, gusting to 14 knots. Reported winds up to 1 hour prior to the accident indicated a tailwind for that particular runway. Review of the make and model airplane handbook revealed that during a go-around, pilots should partially retract the flaps first, establish an airspeed of 80 knots, then slowly retract the remaining flaps.
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; single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 442 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 277 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,440 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 5, 2000; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GGE Georgetown SC at 6:45 pm
- Destination: N47 Pottstown PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,600 ft; scat at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:58 pm from CPK
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.