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19970621046139A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr Firestarii · Orlando, FL · June 21, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
June 21, 1997 · 17:00 local
Place
Orlando, FL
Phase of flight
Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
NONE
Reported as
Amtr Firestarii
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX503
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
401 total8 in this make and model

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Multiple witnesses saw pilot/owner doing touch and go landings on lake holden, Orlando, FL. Then saw aircraft right wing dip down and spin until the aircraft impacted water. (.4)after takeoff while performing touch-and-go water landings about 500 feet above ground level, during a right bank, the engine was heard to backfire by a witness then the airplane was observed to pitch nose down and descend into the lake. The airplane came to rest inverted and the pilot was recovered by bystanders. The airplane was also recovered by bystanders and examination of the airframe and flight controls by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed no preimpact failure or malfunction. The engine which separated from the airplane was also recovered but was not disassembled. Toxicological analysis was negative for all tested drugs. The pilot had reportedly only flown the accident airplane on about 5 flights for a total flight time of about 8 hours. He was advised by a pilot friend that the airplane would stall at higher airspeeds with the floats installed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MULTIPLE WITNESSES SAW PILOT/OWNER DOING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS ON LAKE HOLDEN, ORLANDO, FL. THEN SAW AIRCRAFT RIGHT WING DIP DOWN AND SPIN UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WATER. (.4)AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE PERFORMING TOUCH-AND-GO WATER LANDINGS ABOUT 500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, DURING A RIGHT BANK, THE ENGINE WAS HEARD TO BACKFIRE BY A WITNESS THEN THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO PITCH NOSE DOWN AND DESCEND INTO THE LAKE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED AND THE PILOT WAS RECOVERED BY BYSTANDERS. THE AIRPLANE WAS ALSO RECOVERED BY BYSTANDERS AND EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND FLIGHT CONTROLS BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR REVEALED NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE ENGINE WHICH SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE WAS ALSO RECOVERED BUT WAS NOT DISASSEMBLED. TOXICOLOGICAL ANALYSIS WAS NEGATIVE FOR ALL TESTED DRUGS. THE PILOT HAD REPORTEDLY ONLY FLOWN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ON ABOUT 5 FLIGHTS FOR A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF ABOUT 8 HOURS. HE WAS ADVISED BY A PILOT FRIEND THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD STALL AT HIGHER AIRSPEEDS WITH THE FLOATS INSTALLED.