- Date
- February 23, 1991, 11:52 local (16:52 UTC)
- Place
- Pompano Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N24PWParker Warren Whittman Formula VEE
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910223003319A
- Case key
- 32745
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-in-command's in flight loss of control due to incapacitation resulting from underlying severe heart disease. Contributing to the accident was the pilot-in-command's not reporting the history of hypertension and heart problems during his FAA medical examination.
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
During crosswind turn after takeoff a radio call was received from the pilot in which the pilot in a strained voice called part of the reg. Number and then ceased transmitting abruptly. Witnesses saw rudder go full left at this time and eng. Increase and decrease in power. Acft then entered descending left turn with acft pitch 45 degrees nose low. Wings and pitch leveled and engine power increased as acft impacted ground flat. Post crash exam. Of acft revealed no evidence of failure in structure, flt. Controls, and eng. Post mortem exam revealed plt had severe heart disease and the medical examiner stated plt most likely suffered ventricular fibrillation which would allow only 10 seconds of consciousness after attack. Plt had been treated for hypertension and angina for several years and did not declare this on FAA medical application. Post mortem tox. Testing indicated plt was not taking hypertension medication prescribed by doctor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24PW
- Reported as
- Parker Warren Whittman Formula VEE (WHITTMAN F)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 24
- Airframe hours
- 77
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1600, 58 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Parker A. Warren
- Registered owner
- Parker A. Warren
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 15, 1990 · 2 hours before
- Airport
- PMP · Pompano Beach Airpark, runway 14, 4,420 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 67
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 904 total · 77 in this make and model · 792 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 11 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PMP, 1 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.