# Accident 19990414003589A: Amtr LIGHTINGBUG, Crystal River, FL, April 14, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 14, 1999, 11:00 local time - Place: Crystal River, FL - Airport: Homosassa Air Terminal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 28.8990° N, 82.5903° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.8990&lon=-82.5903&mi=10 - Aircraft: N450CH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N450CH-2000-05-08) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Hoskins Craig A LIGHTNING BUG (registry code 05625FQ, https://openairdocs.org/model/hoskins-craig-a-lightning-bug) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR LIGHTINGBUG - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 144 total, 77 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL99LA071](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA071) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990414003589A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT BOUNCED ON LANDING, TURNED RIGHT WITH THE NOSE HIGH, STALLED, AND CRASHED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN.(.19) ON APRIL 14, 1999, AT 1215 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOSKINS CRAIG, HOMEBUILT LIGHTNING BUG AIRPLANE N450CH, COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY WHILE LANDING AT THE CRYSTAL RIVER AIRPORT IN CRYSTAL RIVER, FLORIDA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED CRYSTAL RIVER AIRPORT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE AIRPLANE LANDED FAST AND HARD ON RUNWAY NINE. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED AND STALLED, COLLIDING WITH THE RUNWAY ON THE NOSE GEAR AND ONE WING. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE, THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE COCKPIT AND MAIN WING.(.4) ON APRIL 14, 1999, AT 1100 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOSKINS CRAIG, HOMEBUILT LIGHTNING BUG AIRPLANE, N450CH, COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY WHILE LANDING AT THE CRYSTAL RIVER AIRPORT IN CRYSTAL RIVER, FLORIDA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ENTERPRISE, ALABAMA, AT 0925. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE AIRPLANE LANDED FAST AND HARD ON RUNWAY NINE. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED AND STALLED, COLLIDING WITH THE RUNWAY ON THE NOSE GEAR AND ONE WING. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS LANDING AT THE CRYSTAL RIVER AIRPORT TO REFUEL PRIOR TO FLYING TO LAKELAND, FLORIDA, AT ABOUT 1130. HE SAID THAT HIS APPROACH SPEED ON SHORT FINAL WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE BALLOONED UP ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE FEET. TO AVOID DAMAGING THE NOSE GEAR, HE ELECTED TO GO-AROUND. HE APPLIED FULL POWER AND RETRACTED THE NOSE GEAR BUT DID NOT RETRACT THE FLAPS. THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT WING TIP STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE CARTWHEELED COMING TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT RELEASED HIS SEATBELT AND CRAWLED CLEAR OF THE AIRCRAFT.ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT ADDED, THAT HIS ASSESSMENT OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THAT HIS "FOCUS ON PERSONAL PILOT PROFICIENCY WAS SUB-STANDARD." AND IN RETROSPECT, HE SHOULD HAVE SPENT MORE TIME DOING APPROACH STALLS AT HIGH ALTITUDE AND MORE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. (-23)ON APRIL 14, 1999 AT 1110 EDT, A HOME BUILT HOSKINS LIGHTENING BUG N 450CH, REGISTERED TO OWNER ^PRIVACY DATA ^ CRASHED ON LANGING AT CRYSTAL RIVER AIRPORT (X31) CRYSTAL RIVER FL. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH A FRACTURED PELVIS. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN ENTERPRISE, AL (EDN) ON 4-14-99 AND WAS ENROUTE TO LAKELAND, FL WITH A FUEL STOP IN CRYSTAL RIVER, FL. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ATL99LA071](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA071), Apr 14, 1999: Hoskins Craig Lightning BUG (N450CH), Crystal River, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.