19990803026159A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr Challengerii · Pahokee, FL · August 3, 1999

Date
August 3, 1999 · 09:30 local
Place
Pahokee, FL
Airport
Palm Beach Co Glades Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N14131
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA99LA213
Reported as
Amtr Challengerii
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX503
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
181 total3 in this make and model84 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19) On August 3, 1999, about 0930 eastern daylight time, a william j. kinney/challenger ii, N14131, registered to, and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed on kreamer island in lake okeechobee, shortly after takeoff from Palm Beach county Glades airport, Pahokee, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the private-rated pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that he had just taken off from runway 35, made a left crosswind turn and was at about 500 feet on a southerly heading, when the engine to propeller drive belt broke. He executed a forced landing on kreamer island. The aircraft received substantial damage to the undercarriage, wings and wing struts. FAA inspectors conducted a postcrash examination of the airplane and noted that the engine to propeller drive belt was missing. The inspectors stated that it appeared that the missing belt was the reason the engine stopped in flight. The belt was not recovered, and the cause of the failure could not be determined. (.4) the pilot stated that shortly after takeoff from runway 35 at Palm Beach county Glades airport, at about 500 feet, on a southerly heading, the engine to propeller drive belt broke and the engine stopped. The pilot further stated that he then executed a forced landing on kreamer island, in lake okeechobee, and the aircraft was substantially damaged in the process. FAA inspectors conducted a postcrash examination of the airplane and noted that the engine to propeller drive belt was missing. The belt was not recovered.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON AUGUST 3, 1999, ABOUT 0930 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A WILLIAM J. KINNEY/CHALLENGER II, N14131, REGISTERED TO, AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED ON KREAMER ISLAND IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM PALM BEACH COUNTY GLADES AIRPORT, PAHOKEE, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM RUNWAY 35, MADE A LEFT CROSSWIND TURN AND WAS AT ABOUT 500 FEET ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING, WHEN THE ENGINE TO PROPELLER DRIVE BELT BROKE. HE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING ON KREAMER ISLAND. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE, WINGS AND WING STRUTS. FAA INSPECTORS CONDUCTED A POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND NOTED THAT THE ENGINE TO PROPELLER DRIVE BELT WAS MISSING. THE INSPECTORS STATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE MISSING BELT WAS THE REASON THE ENGINE STOPPED IN FLIGHT. THE BELT WAS NOT RECOVERED, AND THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 35 AT PALM BEACH COUNTY GLADES AIRPORT, AT ABOUT 500 FEET, ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING, THE ENGINE TO PROPELLER DRIVE BELT BROKE AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE THEN EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING ON KREAMER ISLAND, IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED IN THE PROCESS. FAA INSPECTORS CONDUCTED A POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND NOTED THAT THE ENGINE TO PROPELLER DRIVE BELT WAS MISSING. THE BELT WAS NOT RECOVERED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.