North American NAVION N8698H accident near Palmetto, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions, which led to a runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot was attempting to depart from a turf runway in gusting, left-quartering headwind conditions. He applied full power and was utilizing a soft-field takeoff technique. As the airplane began to lift off, it encountered a “large wind gust” from the left and departed the runway to the right. The pilot’s remedial actions had “no effect,” and the airplane impacted a row of hangars that ran parallel to the runway. The airplane was destroyed by impact damage and a postcrash fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA21LA017 for the full record.