What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft experienced unknown problems and the pilot bailed out using a parachute, the acft subsequently crashed and sustained substantial damage. The pilot was not injured. (.19) on April 7, 1999, about 1330 eastern daylight time, a david c. bock Challenger ii, N929DB, registered to an individual, began to flutter and went out of control near astatula, Florida, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Zellwood, Florida, the same day, about 1250. The pilot stated he was in phase 1 of the flight test program for this homebuilt aircraft. The aircraft had accumulated about 7 total flight hours. He was attempting to fly the aircraft to the calculated never exceed speed of 120 mph. As he drove the aircraft to increase speed, at about 115 mph, the aircraft began to flutter and went out of control. He activated the ballistic safety parachute. The parachute deployed and lowered him and the aircraft to the ground, where a landing was made in an orange grove. (-23)on 7 April 1999, at 1330 dst, privacy data omitted was conducting a flight test in his quad city chllenger ii, N292DB. The purpose of the flight was to flight test the aircraft's flight envelope to meet phase I test requirements specified for amateur built aircraft. privacy data omitted ^ Flew the aircraft in a shallow descent in order to accelerate to test it up to the never exceed speed (vne) on 120 mph. At a speed in access of 115 mph, privacy data omitted ^ experienced tail flutter which caused structural damage to the empenage. Losing control, privacy data omitted ^ shut down the engine and deployed the aircrft emergency parachute system and landed safely. The aircraft sustained substantial daamge with no injury to the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT EXPERIENCED UNKNOWN PROBLEMS AND THE PILOT BAILED OUT USING A PARACHUTE, THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. (.19) ON APRIL 7, 1999, ABOUT 1330 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A DAVID C. BOCK CHALLENGER II, N929DB, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, BEGAN TO FLUTTER AND WENT OUT OF CONTROL NEAR ASTATULA, FLORIDA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ZELLWOOD, FLORIDA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1250. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS IN PHASE 1 OF THE FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM FOR THIS HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 7 TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS. HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT TO THE CALCULATED NEVER EXCEED SPEED OF 120 MPH. AS HE DROVE THE AIRCRAFT TO INCREASE SPEED, AT ABOUT 115 MPH, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO FLUTTER AND WENT OUT OF CONTROL. HE ACTIVATED THE BALLISTIC SAFETY PARACHUTE. THE PARACHUTE DEPLOYED AND LOWERED HIM AND THE AIRCRAFT TO THE GROUND, WHERE A LANDING WAS MADE IN AN ORANGE GROVE. (-23)ON 7 APRIL 1999, AT 1330 DST, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS CONDUCTING A FLIGHT TEST IN HIS QUAD CITY CHLLENGER II, N292DB. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO FLIGHT TEST THE AIRCRAFT'S FLIGHT ENVELOPE TO MEET PHASE I TEST REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED FOR AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT. ^PRIVACY ^ FLEW THE AIRCRAFT IN A SHALLOW DESCENT IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE TO TEST IT UP TO THE NEVER EXCEED SPEED (VNE) ON 120 MPH. AT A SPEED IN ACCESS OF 115 MPH, ^PRIVACY ^ EXPERIENCED TAIL FLUTTER WHICH CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE EMPENAGE. LOSING CONTROL, ^PRIVACY ^ SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND DEPLOYED THE AIRCRFT EMERGENCY PARACHUTE SYSTEM AND LANDED SAFELY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAAMGE WITH NO INJURY TO THE PILOT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.