# Accident 19980426015319A: Amtr FREEBIRD, Englewood, FL, April 26, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 26, 1998, 17:43 local time
- Place: Englewood, FL
- Airport: Buchan Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 26.9901° N, 82.3740° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BUCHAN (X36), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.9901&lon=-82.3740&mi=10
- Aircraft: NONE (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AMTR FREEBIRD
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980426015319A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

UNREGISTERED ULTRA LIGHT LOST POWER TURNING BASE. STALLED ROLLED INVERTED HIT RESIDENCE ROOF. UNLAWFUL FLIGHT. (.19) ON APRIL 26, 1998, ABOUT 1743 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME A NON-REGISTERES FREEBIRD SPORT HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND WHILE ON LEFT BASE TO RUNWAY 030 AT THE BUCHAN AIRPORT IN ENGLEWOOD, FLORIDA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT, AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED ABOUT 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE WAS ON LEFT BASE FOR AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 030 WHEN THEY HEARD THE ENGINE "SPUTTER" AND SAW THE AIRPLANE INVERTED. THEY SAID THE AIRPLANE THEN NOSED DOWN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE FAA FOUND THAT IT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH 14 CFR PART 103, IN THAT IT'S A TWO PLACE AIRPLANE AND HAD A 10 GALLON FUEL CAPACITY.                                                                                                                                                                                          (.4)A NON-REGISTERED FREEBIRD SPORT HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A HOUSE AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE GROUND WHILE ON LEFT BASE TO RUNWAY 030 AT THE BUCHAN AIRPORT IN ENGLEWOOD, FLORIDA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY A NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT. A WITNESS WHO WAS A PILOT STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF FROM BUCHAN AIRFIELD. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS IN THE AIR FOR ABOUT 3 TO 5 MINUTES AND THEN THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE THEN WENT UPSIDE DOWN AND FELL STRAIGHT INTO THE GROUND. ANOTHER WITNESS, THE COUSIN OF THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS TAKING PICTURES OF THE AIRPLANE. HE SAID IT DIDN'T APPEAR THAT THE PILOT WAS HAVING ANY DIFFICULTY WITH THE AIRPLANE WHEN IT SUDDENLY WENT UPSIDE DOWN AND FELL STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO THE FAA'S TOXICOLOGICAL REPORT THE PILOT HAD A HIGH LEVEL OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE IN THE BLOOD WHICH WOULD CAUSE DROWSINESS.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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