- Date
- April 20, 1998, 13:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeland, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N12EXKaas Express
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980420007389A
- Case key
- 38502
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.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing flare/touchdown.
Analysis
The pilot stated he applied power during his round out on landing in an effort to remain in ground effect. His airplane was gaining on another airplane to his front. As he added power the airplane veered to the left off the left side of the runway. The airplane experienced a loss of directional control, collided with a ramp sign, taxi way light, bounced over an intersection, touched down in the grass, slid into a ditch, and a postcrash fire ensued.
Factual narrative
On April 20, 1998, at about 1350 eastern daylight time, a Kaas Express, N12EX, experimental airplane, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, experienced a loss of directional control during the landing flare, and crashed on landing at the Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport, Lakeland, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot reported minor injuries. The flight originated from Ocala Municipal Airport, Ocala, Florida, about 30 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he applied power during his round out on landing in an effort to remain in ground effect over the runway. His airplane was gaining on another airplane to his front. As he applied power, the airplane veered to the left off the left side of the runway. The airplane experienced a loss of directional control, collided with a ramp sign, taxiway light, bounced over an intersection, touched down in the grass left of the runway, and slid into a ditch. An engine fire ensued, and was extinguished by emergency response personnel.
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
- N12EX
- Reported as
- Kaas Express
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 12
- Airframe hours
- 198
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1E6, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dennis T. Kaas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- OCF · Ocala, FL
- Destination
- LAL · FL
- Airport
- LAL · Lakeland-Linder Regional, runway 9L, 3,500 × 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
- 65
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 198 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.