| Crash location | 25.848611°N, 81.390000°W |
| Nearest city | Everglades City, FL
25.860100°N, 81.380357°W 1.0 miles away |
| Tail number | N933JH |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 19 Oct 2003 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172N |
| Additional details: | None |
On October 19, 2003, about 1130 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N933JH, registered to, and operated by Executive Aircrafts Inc., as a Title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, ran off the end of the runway during takeoff at Everglades Airport, Everglades City, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot received minor injuries, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated to the NTSB that he was trying to take off from Everglades City Airport, and when he was about 1/4 of the distance from the end of the runway he attempted to pull back on the control yoke and lift off, but nothing happened. He said that at the time he noticed that the airspeed was about 60 knots, but yet he could not raise the nose of the airplane, so he applied the brakes in an attempt to stop, and the airplane went off the end of the runway. He stated, "to make a long story short, what I did was that I did not remove the control lock from the yoke." According to the pilot, prior to the accident, there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.
The pilot's improper preflight planning/preparation which resulted in the airplane's gust lock being left installed, which resulted in the airplane not being able lift off during the takeoff roll, and damage to the airplane when it overran the runway and crashed into the water at the end of the runway.