What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On April 8, 1997, about 1200 eastern daylight time, an unregistered basinski, kolb MK3, experimental airplane, N128BB, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed while maneuvering in the vicinity of Winter Haven's gilbert field, Winter Haven, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from lake jessie abeam browns seaplane base, Winter Haven, Florida, about 1 minute before the accident. Witnesses located at browns seaplane base, and boaters located on lake jessie, at Winter Haven, observed the airplane making touch-and-go landings to the lake. The airplane took off to the north and turned to the west. Blue and white colored smoke was observed coming from the vicinity of the engine. The airplane appeared to lose forward airspeed while in a climb at about 100 to 200 feet. The left wing dropped down between 45 to 90 degrees, the airplane entered a spin to the left, colliding with a house trailer and the ground. (.4) witnesses located at a seaplane base and boaters on a lake observed the airplane making touch-and-go landings at the at the lake. The airplane took off to the north and turned to the west. Blue and white smoke was observed coming from the vicinity of the engine. The airplane appeared to loose forward airspeed while in a climb at about 100 to 200 feet. The left wing dropped, then the airplane entered a spin to the left and collided with a house trailer and the ground. Examination revealed the oil sump return line was disconnected from the oil sump, and oil was found on the leading edge of the empennage (behind the engine). The oil sump was empty, and the stainless steel clamp on the return line was loose. No other precrash mechanical failure was found with the engine, airframe, or flight controls. (-23) aircraft was practicing take-off and landings in lake jessie. Witnesses reported pilot took off to the north; aircraft was emitting dense gray smoke. Pilot attempted to return to lake, was seen in a 45 degree bank toward the west. Aircraft departed controlled flight in a left spin and crashed into a mobile home.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON APRIL 8, 1997, ABOUT 1200 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN UNREGISTERED BASINSKI, KOLB MK3, EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N128BB, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE VICINITY OF WINTER HAVEN'S GILBERT FIELD, WINTER HAVEN, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LAKE JESSIE ABEAM BROWNS SEAPLANE BASE, WINTER HAVEN, FLORIDA, ABOUT 1 MINUTE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES LOCATED AT BROWNS SEAPLANE BASE, AND BOATERS LOCATED ON LAKE JESSIE, AT WINTER HAVEN, OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE MAKING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS TO THE LAKE. THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF TO THE NORTH AND TURNED TO THE WEST. BLUE AND WHITE COLORED SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE VICINITY OF THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO LOSE FORWARD AIRSPEED WHILE IN A CLIMB AT ABOUT 100 TO 200 FEET. THE LEFT WING DROPPED DOWN BETWEEN 45 TO 90 DEGREES, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A SPIN TO THE LEFT, COLLIDING WITH A HOUSE TRAILER AND THE GROUND. (.4) WITNESSES LOCATED AT A SEAPLANE BASE AND BOATERS ON A LAKE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE MAKING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS AT THE AT THE LAKE. THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF TO THE NORTH AND TURNED TO THE WEST. BLUE AND WHITE SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE VICINITY OF THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO LOOSE FORWARD AIRSPEED WHILE IN A CLIMB AT ABOUT 100 TO 200 FEET. THE LEFT WING DROPPED, THEN THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A SPIN TO THE LEFT AND COLLIDED WITH A HOUSE TRAILER AND THE GROUND. EXAMINATION REVEALED THE OIL SUMP RETURN LINE WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE OIL SUMP, AND OIL WAS FOUND ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE EMPENNAGE (BEHIND THE ENGINE). THE OIL SUMP WAS EMPTY, AND THE STAINLESS STEEL CLAMP ON THE RETURN LINE WAS LOOSE. NO OTHER PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS FOUND WITH THE ENGINE, AIRFRAME, OR FLIGHT CONTROLS. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS PRACTICING TAKE-OFF AND LANDINGS IN LAKE JESSIE. WITNESSES REPORTED PILOT TOOK OFF TO THE NORTH; AIRCRAFT WAS EMITTING DENSE GRAY SMOKE. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO LAKE, WAS SEEN IN A 45 DEGREE BANK TOWARD THE WEST. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT IN A LEFT SPIN AND CRASHED INTO A MOBILE HOME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.