- Date
- April 12, 1999, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Wimauma, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N173RSBean Whitman W-10
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990412003269A
- Case key
- 46071
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's failure to maintain a visual lookout during a forced landing resulting in an in-flight collision with a ditch and subsequent nose over.
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 was in cruise flight when the airframe experienced a vibration of undetermined origin. The pilot made a forced landing to an open field and collided with a previously observed ditch, and the airplane nosed over coming to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On April 12, 1999, about 0945 eastern daylight time, a Whitman Tailwind W-10, N173RS, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed during a forced landing in the vicinity of Wimauma, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and private pilot passenger reported minor injuries. The flight originated from Lakeland, Florida, about 15 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated she was in cruise flight at 1,000 feet when the airplane experienced an airframe vibration. She reduced power with negative results, and a forced landing was selected. During final approach she observed a ditch which crossed the forced landing area. She added power to miss the ditch however, the main landing gear collided with the ditch. The airplane continued forward, nosed over, and rotated to the left 90 degrees, and came to rest inverted. The source of the reported airframe vibration was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N173RS
- Reported as
- Bean Whitman W-10 (WHITMAN W-)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001032028RS
- Airframe hours
- 58
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sarah L. Bean
- Registered owner
- Robert Bean
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 3, 1999 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- LAL · Lakeland, 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 305 total · 43 in this make and model · 180 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAL, 35 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.
Other investigations on N173RS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.