- Date
- April 18, 2007, 10:20 local (14:20 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeland, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N555XRobert J. Goodyear Hummel Bird
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070418008989A
- Case key
- 65695
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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a go-around.
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 said that while turning final to land on runway 27, he was at an altitude of 300 ft. AGL, an airspeed of 65 MPH, and he was closing in on the aircraft that was ahead of him. At this point he said he reduced his airspeed to just below 60 MPH, and when he slowed down he noticed that the aircraft ahead of him started to increase altitude. He was still closing on that aircraft and decided to go around on the inside. He made a hard bank to the left, and was at an altitude of 195 feet AGL, when his aircraft stalled. He said he made corrections in an attempt to recover, and his aircraft abruptly turned right, causing his head to strike the canopy, and he lost consciousness. The pilot said that prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to his aircraft or any of its systems.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he had completed several laps around the ultralight traffic pattern at Lakeland Linder Airport, when he decided to land. He entered left traffic, and while on left downwind for a landing on the ultralight runway 27, at and altitude of 400 feet AGL, he noticed another aircraft about 1,500 feet ahead of him and at a slightly lower altitude. He further stated that while turning to left base, he noticed that his airspeed was 70 mph, his altitude was 400 feet, and the airplane in front of him had slowed down considerably. When turning final, he was at an altitude of 300 ft. AGL, his airspeed was 65 MPH, and he was closing on the aircraft that was ahead him. At this point the pilot said he reduced his airspeed to just below 60 MPH. When he slowed down he noticed that the aircraft ahead of him started to increase altitude, and he was still closing on that aircraft, so the pilot said he decided to go around on the inside. He made a pretty hard bank to the left, felt the left crosswind get under his wing. His airspeed was just below 55 MPH, and he was at an altitude of 195 feet AGL, when his aircraft stalled. The pilot that as he made corrections in an attempt to recover, his aircraft abruptly turned right, causing his head to strike the canopy, and he lost consciousness. According to the pilot, that was the last thing he remembered until he awakened in the hospital the next day. The pilot said that prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to his aircraft or any of its systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N555X
- Reported as
- Robert J. Goodyear Hummel Bird
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- HB-3460
- Airframe hours
- 125
- Engine
- Volkswagen Ae567997, 37 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert J. Goodyear
- Registered owner
- Robert J. Goodyear
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2007
- Departed
- LAL · Lakeland, FL
- Destination
- LAL
- Airport
- LAL · Lakeland Linder Regional
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2006
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 269 total · 129 in this make and model · 234 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- LAL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.