What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) On January 12, 1998, about 1630 central standard time, a valentin tiafun 17E, N16MA, registered to a private owner crashed on landing rollout during a precautionary landing in the vicinity of Pensacola, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The commercial pilot reported no injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from Pensacola naval air station at an undetermined time. The pilot stated he was on a VFR flight from clemson, to winter haven, Florida. While in cruise flight he realized he was low on fuel and had misidentified the gulf of Mexico as the atlantic ocean. He made a precautionary landing to a raod in a housing subdivision. The right wing collided with a fence post and the airplane veered to the right, nosed over, and the engine assembly separated from the airframe. (-23) pilot was lost, landed in housing area on street thought it was ferguson field, original destination was winter haven FL. Hit tree and street sign, both wings damaged, engine and prop torn off, pilot landed at nas in pns for fuel. They drew him a map to go to ferguson field for fuel, aircraft is an experimental home built with ret-gear, full IFR.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) ON JANUARY 12, 1998, ABOUT 1630 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A VALENTIN TIAFUN 17E, N16MA, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER CRASHED ON LANDING ROLLOUT DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN THE VICINITY OF PENSACOLA, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PENSACOLA NAVAL AIR STATION AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS ON A VFR FLIGHT FROM CLEMSON, TO WINTER HAVEN, FLORIDA. WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT HE REALIZED HE WAS LOW ON FUEL AND HAD MISIDENTIFIED THE GULF OF MEXICO AS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. HE MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO A RAOD IN A HOUSING SUBDIVISION. THE RIGHT WING COLLIDED WITH A FENCE POST AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT, NOSED OVER, AND THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME. (-23) PILOT WAS LOST, LANDED IN HOUSING AREA ON STREET THOUGHT IT WAS FERGUSON FIELD, ORIGINAL DESTINATION WAS WINTER HAVEN FL. HIT TREE AND STREET SIGN, BOTH WINGS DAMAGED, ENGINE AND PROP TORN OFF, PILOT LANDED AT NAS IN PNS FOR FUEL. THEY DREW HIM A MAP TO GO TO FERGUSON FIELD FOR FUEL, AIRCRAFT IS AN EXPERIMENTAL HOME BUILT WITH RET-GEAR, FULL IFR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.