- Date
- July 4, 1988, 19:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Wales, FL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N65DFFranklin Drifter XP-503
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880704024769A
- Case key
- 32027
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
The owner rprtd the plt flew the acft at a company picnic without authorization. Company psnl saw the experimental, amateur built acft takeoff from the company strip, then maneuver for a low pass over the area at about 150 to 200 ft AGL. Some estimated the pass was made with a speed in excess of 100 mph. The never exceed (vne) speed for the acft was 95 mph. As the acft apchd the area of the picnic, witnesses heard a buzzing or fluttering sound. As it continued overhead, witnesses noted the left aileron had become detached from the outboard end & had folded aft. Subsequently, the rgt aileron failed in a similar manner. The acft entered a climb & some witnesses noted a power reduction as if the plt was trying to slow the acft. However, the acft rolled & entered a dscnt which was described as a stall/spin condition. Rprtdly, the plt was aware of the acft's tendency to enctr aileron buzz or flutter when accelerated above 100 mph.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65DF
- Reported as
- Franklin Drifter XP-503 (DRIFTER XP)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- DR 0365
- Airframe hours
- 43
- Engine
- Rotax 532LC, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Maxair Aircraft Corp.
- Registered owner
- Dennis W. Franklin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 1988 · 43 hours before
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,900 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCO, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.