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19980419007089A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Amtr VELOCITY · Romulus, MI · April 19, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
April 19, 1998 · 18:09 local
Place
Romulus, MI
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N234Q
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI98LA129
Reported as
Amtr Velocity
Reported engine
Continental IO360*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
21,000 total
N234QRegistration cancelled Oct 31, 2013 · Good Marvin VELOCITYS/N DMO 82 · Built 1992Airframe modelGood Marvin VELOCITYEngine modelFranklin 6A-350SERReciprocating

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.

Experimental was being tracked by us customs when it crashed under unknown circumstances, detroit, MI. (.4)the U.S. Customs service air interdiction coordination center (daicc), received notification from a park ranger at big bend national park, TX, of an unidentified airplane entering the united states from Mexico. This airplane did not notify U.S. Authorities of its arrival. A U.S. Customs service aircraft was dispatched, and it intercepted the airplane near alpine, TX. The U.S. Customs service aircraft followed the airplane on a northeasterly heading for over 8 hours, until arriving in the detroit, MI, area. The airplane was observed overflying the detroit metropolitan airport and circling over the downtown area, until it descended and crashed into an athletic field. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane was void of fuel. No other anomaly was found. Approximately 408 pounds of marijuana was recovered from the wreckage. (-23) pilot flew non-stop from el paso, TX. Area. He was followed by us customs aircraft. The aircraft apparently ran out of gas, attempted to land in open (softball) field, hit trees and flipped over. Hit concrete bench upon impact to ground. Aircraft was destroyed. Pilot was fatally injured.

As the FAA filed it

EXPERIMENTAL WAS BEING TRACKED BY US CUSTOMS WHEN IT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, DETROIT, MI. (.4)THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE AIR INTERDICTION COORDINATION CENTER (DAICC), RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM A PARK RANGER AT BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TX, OF AN UNIDENTIFIED AIRPLANE ENTERING THE UNITED STATES FROM MEXICO. THIS AIRPLANE DID NOT NOTIFY U.S. AUTHORITIES OF ITS ARRIVAL. A U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE AIRCRAFT WAS DISPATCHED, AND IT INTERCEPTED THE AIRPLANE NEAR ALPINE, TX. THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE AIRCRAFT FOLLOWED THE AIRPLANE ON A NORTHEASTERLY HEADING FOR OVER 8 HOURS, UNTIL ARRIVING IN THE DETROIT, MI, AREA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED OVERFLYING THE DETROIT METROPOLITAN AIRPORT AND CIRCLING OVER THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UNTIL IT DESCENDED AND CRASHED INTO AN ATHLETIC FIELD. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS VOID OF FUEL. NO OTHER ANOMALY WAS FOUND. APPROXIMATELY 408 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA WAS RECOVERED FROM THE WRECKAGE. (-23) PILOT FLEW NON-STOP FROM EL PASO, TX. AREA. HE WAS FOLLOWED BY US CUSTOMS AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT APPARENTLY RAN OUT OF GAS, ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN OPEN (SOFTBALL) FIELD, HIT TREES AND FLIPPED OVER. HIT CONCRETE BENCH UPON IMPACT TO GROUND. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI98LA129Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportRomulus, MIimproper planning/decision by the pilot, by using the airplane in an illegal activity and allowing the fuel to be exhausted before landing. Factors relating to this accident were: the pilot being under pressure to reach his destination with his illegal cargo,…Apr 19, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N234Q · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19920723036039IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Ft Lauderdale, FLExperienced electrical problems. Gear collapsed on rollout. Found defective alternator and extension system failureJul 23, 1992 · Minor damage