- Date
- July 7, 1992, 09:39 local (13:39 UTC)
- Place
- Okeechobee, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N148DPMaule MX-7-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920707023939A
- Case key
- 33107
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 failure of the pilot-in-command of N148DP to obtain NOTAM information concerning military routes along his route of flight, resulting in his encounter with a flight of F16 aircraft who were operating on a military route.
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 of N148DP filed a VFR flight plan, but did not obtain NOTAM information for his route of flight. En route he reported to the air force avon park operations that he intended to pass to the south of the restricted area at avon park. While in cruise flight at 1,400 feet over instrument route 34 (ir 34), N148DP encountered a flight of four F16 aircraft flying at 1,500 feet at 500 knots. The F16 aircraft were in wide formation and none of the aircraft had radar contact with N148DP. The lead aircraft performed a 6 'g' pull up to avoid collision with N148DP. N148DP encountered wake turbulence from the F16 and sustained substantial damage to the structure. The pilot of N148DP continued to the destination and landed uneventfully. The F16 flight continued the mission and returned to base uneventfully. The ir 34 route was on a notice to airman (NOTAM) as being active at the time of the occurrence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N148DP
- Reported as
- Maule MX-7-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11015C
- Airframe hours
- 758
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Scruggs, Debra C.
- Registered owner
- Scruggs, Debra C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 28, 1992 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- TPF · Tampa, FL
- Destination
- SUA · Stuart, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 1,857 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FPR, 44 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.