- Date
- October 24, 2003, 18:24 local (22:24 UTC)
- Place
- Oak Hill, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N137MSLet NP Kinovice Z37A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 28, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Orlando FSDO - 15
- FAA report
- 20031024037449A
- Case key
- 58240
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilots failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering to re-enter the pattern resulting in an inadvertent stall and impact with trees and the ground during the subsequent uncontrolled descent.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated he was in slow flight at 250 feet above ground level in the traffic pattern on a heading of northwest flying away from the runway when the right wing abruptly dropped. He first pushed the nose of the airplane forward, added power and opposite aileron, and then he applied rudder. He did not recover due to the low altitude. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident stated the pilot turned left base, for runway 18 when he noticed he was too close to the approach end of the runway. He elected to make a right turn to re-enter the traffic pattern. The airplane was on a heading of approximately 330-degrees when it stalled and spun to the right. During the uncontrolled descent the airplane rotated approximately 240 degrees before striking branches of a tree and then impacted the ground nose first.
Factual narrative
On October 24, 2003, about 1824 eastern daylight time, an experimental (exhibition) Let NP Kinovice Z37A, N137MS, registered to and operated by a private owner as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, impacted with the ground while entering the traffic pattern for the Blue Ridge Flightpark Airport, Oak Hill, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot reported serious injuries, and one passenger reported minor injuries, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated from the Blue Ridge Flightpark, a few minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he was in slow flight at 250 feet above ground level in the traffic pattern on a heading of northwest, flying away from the runway when the right wing abruptly dropped. He first pushed the nose of the airplane forward, added power and opposite aileron, and then he applied rudder. He did not recover do to the low altitude.
The FAA inspector who responded to the accident stated the pilot turned left base, for runway 18 when he noticed he was too close to the approach end of the runway. He elected to make a right turn to re-enter the traffic pattern. The airplane was on a heading of approximately 330-degrees when it stalled and spun to the right. During the uncontrolled descent the airplane rotated approximately 240 degrees before striking branches of a tree and then impacted the ground nose first.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N137MS
- Reported as
- Let NP Kinovice Z37A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14-05
- Engine
- Avia M462RF, 315 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kurt Grasso
- Registered owner
- Mark Schrick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 2FD6 · Oak Hill, FL
- Destination
- Oak Hill, FL
- Airport
- 34FD · Blue Ridge Airpark Airport, runway 170, 3,335 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- December 31, 2002
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,000 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KDAB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.