What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft engine quit, and the acft crash-landed at the river club golf center. Other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on February 11, 1999, about 1610 eastern standard time, an experimental wolf seawind 3000, N76SW, registered to visions unlimited, LLC., operating as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed in the vicinity of Bradenton, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot sustained minor injuries. The flight departed sarasota/Bradenton international airport about 5 minutes before the accident. According to sarasota tower personnel, N76SW departed about 1605, for charleston executive airport, south carolina, requesting flight following, and had just been handed off to tampa ATC when the accident occurred. According to the manatee county sheriff's department, an eyewitness observed smoke streaming from the engine just before the crash. A stream of engine oil from the engine cowling to the tail was found on the wreckage by sheriff's department personnel. (.4) the pilot reported that during departure climb at 400 feet AGL, his engine lost power and RPM decayed rapidly. His first inclination was to turn the amphibian toward a lake, but the power decay was too rapid, and he chose a golf course, instead. He was forced to make a late correction to his intended touchdown point due to golfers, and made a gear and flaps up, hard touchdown sustaining damage to the airplane. Subsequent examination of the engine revealed no. 2 piston had a hole burned completely through its skirt and top, and the nose crankshaft seal was blown out, allowing lubricating oil to escape overboard.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT ENGINE QUIT, AND THE ACFT CRASH-LANDED AT THE RIVER CLUB GOLF CENTER. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON FEBRUARY 11, 1999, ABOUT 1610 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL WOLF SEAWIND 3000, N76SW, REGISTERED TO VISIONS UNLIMITED, LLC., OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF BRADENTON, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED SARASOTA/BRADENTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO SARASOTA TOWER PERSONNEL, N76SW DEPARTED ABOUT 1605, FOR CHARLESTON EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, SOUTH CAROLINA, REQUESTING FLIGHT FOLLOWING, AND HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OFF TO TAMPA ATC WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. ACCORDING TO THE MANATEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, AN EYEWITNESS OBSERVED SMOKE STREAMING FROM THE ENGINE JUST BEFORE THE CRASH. A STREAM OF ENGINE OIL FROM THE ENGINE COWLING TO THE TAIL WAS FOUND ON THE WRECKAGE BY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING DEPARTURE CLIMB AT 400 FEET AGL, HIS ENGINE LOST POWER AND RPM DECAYED RAPIDLY. HIS FIRST INCLINATION WAS TO TURN THE AMPHIBIAN TOWARD A LAKE, BUT THE POWER DECAY WAS TOO RAPID, AND HE CHOSE A GOLF COURSE, INSTEAD. HE WAS FORCED TO MAKE A LATE CORRECTION TO HIS INTENDED TOUCHDOWN POINT DUE TO GOLFERS, AND MADE A GEAR AND FLAPS UP, HARD TOUCHDOWN SUSTAINING DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO. 2 PISTON HAD A HOLE BURNED COMPLETELY THROUGH ITS SKIRT AND TOP, AND THE NOSE CRANKSHAFT SEAL WAS BLOWN OUT, ALLOWING LUBRICATING OIL TO ESCAPE OVERBOARD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.