# Accident 20021005038579A: Amtr VELOCITYSR6E, Valkaria, FL, October 5, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 5, 2002, 15:00 local time - Place: Valkaria, FL - Airport: Valkaria Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.9619° N, 80.5597° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9619&lon=-80.5597&mi=10 - Aircraft: N954PB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N954PB-2003-07-21) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bowers Scott P VELOCITY SR6E (registry code 0561096, https://openairdocs.org/model/bowers-scott-p-velocity-sr6e) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 SER A&C (registry code 41511, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR VELOCITYSR6E - Reported engine: LYC IO360C1E6 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 1,100 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA03LA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA03LA001) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021005038579A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ACCORDING TO A WITNESS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT N954PB, PILOTED BY MR. SCOTT BOWER, PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 313502696, DEPARTED ON OCTOBER 5, 2002 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:45PM ON RUNWAY 32 AT THE VALKARIA FLORIDA AIRPORT (X59) ON IT'S WAY TO WILSON, NORTH CAROLINA. ^PRIVACY DAT^ ALSO STATED THAT PILOT MR. BOWERS FUELED THE AIRCRAFT WITH APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS AT A SELF-SERVE PUMP AT THE VALKARIA AIRPORT IN THE MORNING OF THE FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DAT^ ALSO STATED THAT THE PILOT (MR. BOWERS) WAS USING A HAND HELD GPS FOR NAVIGATION AND PLACED IT ON THE FORWARD GLARE SHIELD PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE TAKEOFF APPEARED TO BE NORMAL AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A TURN TO THE WEST (TO AVOID THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER). WHILE ON A WESTERLY HEADING, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A LEFT TURN TOWARD THE SOUTH AND BEGAN DESCENDING. IT CONTINUED TURNING BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AND WAS SEEN AS APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. AS IT MADE IT'S WAY TOWARD THE AIRPORT, IT APPEARED TO BE WALLOWING AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED AND DISAPPEARED BELOW THE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET SW OF RUNWAY 9 AND APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY 9 CENTERLINE OF THE VALKARIA (X59) AIRPORT. (THESE MEASUREMENTS ARE ACCORDING TO THE VALKARIA AIRPORT MANAGER, MR. JAMES SHIMKUS). AT THE SCENE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVERTED WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT HEADING IN A NORTH WESTERLY DIRECTION. THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUEL, NOR WAS THERE ANY INDICATION OF SPILLAGE OR DISCOLORATION ANYWHERE ON THE GROUND OR FAUNA. THE AIRCRAFT IS A REAR-MOUNTED ENGINE WITH A THREE BLADED PUSHER PROPELLER. THERE WAS ONLY ONE PROPELLER BLADE (COMPOSITE) THAT WAS DAMAGED AND THE OTHER TWO WERE INTACT AND IN GOOD CONDITION. THIS IS AN INDICATION THAT THE ENGINE WAS EITHER IDLE SPEED OR NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON THE GROUND THAT THE PROPELLER WAS TURNING ON IMPACT. THE BLADES ALSO APPEARED TO BE IN A HIGH PITCH ANGLE. THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED ON IMPACT; THE WINGS WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE RETRACTED POSITION, INDICATING THAT THE PILOT WAS NOT IN A CONFIGURATION TO MAKE A NORMAL LANDING. POST IMPACT INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED BY FAA MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR J. SCOTT STRICKLAND OF THE ORLANDO FSDO (REFERENCE SCOTTS REPORT). BECAUSE THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND THERE WERE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF CONTROL DAMAGE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ## 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 MIA03LA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA03LA001), Oct 5, 2002: Bowers Velocity SR6E (N954PB), Valkaria, FL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin, and subsequent impact with the terrain. 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.