- Date
- August 30, 1988, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Davie, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N35LCCommens Midget Mustang I
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880830036629A
- Case key
- 32040
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 private pilot flying the homebuilt aircraft crashed into a swamp, and there were no witnesses. The aircraft was located 4 days later. Friends of the pilot recalled that in the 3 weeks prior to the accident the pilot had bragged to them about the high 'g' aerobatic maneuvers he had been doing. A review of the pilots records revealed that he had received a total of 3 hours of aerobatic instruction 2 years before the accident. The acft impacted in a 50 degree nose down attitude. The acft's flt control continuity was established in a post acc inspection. The ailerons had failed at their mounts but were at the acc site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N35LC
- Reported as
- Commens Midget Mustang I (MIDGET MUS)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- N00LHC-1
- Airframe hours
- 275
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Balkum, Bruce F.
- Registered owner
- Balkum, Bruce F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 19, 1988 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- FXE · Fort Lauderdale, FL
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 410 total · 95 in this make and model · 65 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FXE, 17 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.