Suppose that $\{\alpha_t\}_{t\in \mathbb{R}}$ is a flow on the compact metrizable space $X$. We prove that a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of an embedding (injective $*$-homomorphism) of the crossed product $C(X)\rtimes_\alpha \mathbb{R}$ into some $AF$-algebra is that every point of $X$ be chain recurrent in the sense of Conley.