19980421007369A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtras Starlite · Lakeland, FL · April 21, 1998

Date: April 21, 1998 · 10:54 local
Place: Lakeland, FL
Airport: Lakeland Regional Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N914SL
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA98LA141
Reported as: Amtras Starlite
Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX503
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 857 total0 in this make and model

N914SLRegistration cancelled Jan 29, 2018 · Star-Lite Engineering WARP 1AS/N 09970001 · Built 1997 Airframe modelStar-Lite Engineering WARP 1A Engine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

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.

Had difficulty controlling aircraft, fr wing tip struck builing and impacted ground. Logbook showed no time in make (-23) on April 21, 1998, about 1054 eastern daylight time, a star-lite warp 1A, N914SL, registered to star-lite engineering ltd, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashe whil maneuvering in the vicinity of Lakeland-linder regional airport, Lakeland, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Lakeland-linder regional airport about 4 minutes before the accident. Witnesses stated they observed the airplane flying towards the south-southwest towards the geico insurance building. The airplane was observed to start a shallow right turn. The bank increased between 60 to 90 degrees. The nose pitched down and the airplane disappeared below the tree line and buildings in an inverted descending attitude.

As the FAA filed it

HAD DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING AIRCRAFT, FR WING TIP STRUCK BUILING AND IMPACTED GROUND. LOGBOOK SHOWED NO TIME IN MAKE (-23) ON APRIL 21, 1998, ABOUT 1054 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A STAR-LITE WARP 1A, N914SL, REGISTERED TO STAR-LITE ENGINEERING LTD, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHE WHIL MANEUVERING IN THE VICINITY OF LAKELAND-LINDER REGIONAL AIRPORT, LAKELAND, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LAKELAND-LINDER REGIONAL AIRPORT ABOUT 4 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES STATED THEY OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING TOWARDS THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST TOWARDS THE GEICO INSURANCE BUILDING. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO START A SHALLOW RIGHT TURN. THE BANK INCREASED BETWEEN 60 TO 90 DEGREES. THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN AND THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED BELOW THE TREE LINE AND BUILDINGS IN AN INVERTED DESCENDING ATTITUDE.

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 MIA98LA141Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportLakeland, FLthe pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, while maneuvering on crosswind in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and an in-flight collision with a building and the terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's decision to…Apr 21, 1998 · Destroyed