- Date
- February 20, 1996, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Boynton Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N29BWBerkshire Concept 70
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960220002219A
- Case key
- 37981
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
an engine loss of power and fire for undetermined reasons.
Analysis
The pilot stated that during cruise the engine began to lose power and then quit. He then observed flames. Unsure if he would be able to land the plane he banked the motor glider right, ejected the canopy, released the seatbelt and bailed out. The aircraft entered a flat spin and collided with the ground. The wreckage burned.
Factual narrative
On February 20, 1996, about 1245 eastern standard time, N29BW, a Berkshire Manufacturing Corporation, Concept 70, registered to a private owner crashed in Boynton Beach, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was destroyed and the airline transport-rated pilot reported no injuries. The airplane departed Lantana Airpark, Lantana, Florida, about 30 minutes earlier.
The pilot stated that while in cruise flight at 1,100 feet the engine quit and he observed flames. He then bailed out using his parachute, landing without injury. The airplane descended uncontrolled and crashed in a remote area.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29BW
- Reported as
- Berkshire Concept 70
- Category
- Glider, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 14
- Airframe hours
- 900
- Engine
- Rotax 447, 40 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bruce E. Case
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 5, 1995 · 105 hours before
- Departed
- LNA · Lantana, FL
- Airport
- LNA · Lantana/County Park, runway 9, 3,488 × 75 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
- 40
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5,200 total · 150 in this make and model · 4,330 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PMP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N29BW · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.