- Date
- March 15, 1984, 14:35 local (19:35 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeland, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N19FHSouthern Comfort
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 30979
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
While performing aerobatics at an airshow, the fabric on top of the upper wing started separating from the wing. The plt continued flying the acft & tried to return to the arpt. However, when flt could not be maintained with full power, due to loss of airspeed & alt, the plt parachuted from the acft. The acft crashed in an open field & burned. The plt's parachute opened just seconds before he impacted the ground. He received serious injuries during ground contact after initiating his bail-out at aprx 500 ft. the owner/builder stated that he realized that fabric of aerobatic acft normally have stiches 1 inch apart, but he built his with stiches 2 inches apart. He stated that when he built the acft, he did not plan to allow aerobatics to be done with the acft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N19FH
- Reported as
- Southern Comfort
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Engine
- Continental W-670, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- John H. Helton
- Registered owner
- Frank E. Howell Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 23, 1983 · 25 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 6,760 total · 2 in this make and model · 6,600 as pilot in command · 104 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAL