What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed into a swamp under unknown circumstances, and the pilot was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. (From .19) on June 13, 1999, about 1415 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt buccaneer ii, N618BC, registered to a private individual, crashed into water while maneuvering near Panacea, FL. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot sustained minor injuries. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The time of departure from the Wakulla County Airport has not been determined. According to a witness, he observed the airplane fly over his boat about 100 feet AGL and observed the airplane in a bank then observed the airplane impact the ground nose low. The pilot stated to an FAA inspector that he experienced an accelerated stall and was too low to recover. (.4)the pilot reported that he previously had a discrepancy with the end of the plastic tubing that connected to the pitot tube. He had cut the damaged end off and reconnected the tubing to the pitot tube and also had replacement tubing in his car but he reported that he 'did not have time to replace it.' The accident flight departed and while flying over the bay, the pilot recognized that the airspeed indication was incorrect based on the power setting and visual clues. He elected to continue the flight and stated that the airplane did not turn with left rudder and slight left aileron. He added full power; the engine responded and he expected to land in the bay to identify the discrepancy with the airspeed indicator. The flight climbed to 100-150 feet above ground level, where while in a climb attitude, he applied right rudder. The airplane then reportedly entered either an accelerated stall or an uncoordinated turn, rolled to the right, pitched nose down, then impacted the water. He further stated that there was no engine or flight control preimpact failure or malfunction. (-23)on June 13, 1999, at 1420 EDT, an experimental homebuilt buccaneerii B2, N618BC, pending registration to privacy data omitted, crashed into the water at levy bay, Florida. Coordinates: long; 84142, lat; 295886. Visual meterological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight flight plan was filed for the FAR 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot and passenger sustained injury. The flight originated at the Panacea airport (2J0) at approximately 1400.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED INTO A SWAMP UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH UNKNOWN INJURIES. (FROM .19) ON JUNE 13, 1999, ABOUT 1415 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT BUCCANEER II, N618BC, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, CRASHED INTO WATER WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR PANACEA, FL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE TIME OF DEPARTURE FROM THE WAKULLA COUNTY AIRPORT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLY OVER HIS BOAT ABOUT 100 FEET AGL AND OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE IN A BANK THEN OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE IMPACT THE GROUND NOSE LOW. THE PILOT STATED TO AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT HE EXPERIENCED AN ACCELERATED STALL AND WAS TOO LOW TO RECOVER. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE PREVIOUSLY HAD A DISCREPANCY WITH THE END OF THE PLASTIC TUBING THAT CONNECTED TO THE PITOT TUBE. HE HAD CUT THE DAMAGED END OFF AND RECONNECTED THE TUBING TO THE PITOT TUBE AND ALSO HAD REPLACEMENT TUBING IN HIS CAR BUT HE REPORTED THAT HE 'DID NOT HAVE TIME TO REPLACE IT.' THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT DEPARTED AND WHILE FLYING OVER THE BAY, THE PILOT RECOGNIZED THAT THE AIRSPEED INDICATION WAS INCORRECT BASED ON THE POWER SETTING AND VISUAL CLUES. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT AND STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT TURN WITH LEFT RUDDER AND SLIGHT LEFT AILERON. HE ADDED FULL POWER; THE ENGINE RESPONDED AND HE EXPECTED TO LAND IN THE BAY TO IDENTIFY THE DISCREPANCY WITH THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR. THE FLIGHT CLIMBED TO 100-150 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, WHERE WHILE IN A CLIMB ATTITUDE, HE APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER. THE AIRPLANE THEN REPORTEDLY ENTERED EITHER AN ACCELERATED STALL OR AN UNCOORDINATED TURN, ROLLED TO THE RIGHT, PITCHED NOSE DOWN, THEN IMPACTED THE WATER. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE OR FLIGHT CONTROL PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. (-23)ON JUNE 13, 1999, AT 1420 EDT, AN EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT BUCCANEERII B2, N618BC, PENDING REGISTRATION TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^, CRASHED INTO THE WATER AT LEVY BAY, FLORIDA. COORDINATES: LONG; 84142, LAT; 295886. VISUAL METEROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FAR 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURY. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE PANACEA AIRPORT (2J0) AT APPROXIMATELY 1400.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.