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ERA20LA323

2020-09-18 · Hollywood, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport HWO

Current FAA registration · N234ME

Make / Model
CESSNA 182S
Year of manufacture
2000 · 20 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-540 SER (300 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20000628
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A21874

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind takeoff, which resulted in a collision with airport lights and a sign.

Factual narrative

The pilot was departing on a cross country flight. Immediately after liftoff the nose of the airplane veered left. The pilot attempted to correct for the crosswind but was unsuccessful and the airplane struck runway lights and a sign resulting in substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Response/compensation
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Sign/marker-Contributed to outcome
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Runway/taxi/approach light-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_ERA20LA323.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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