Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Willis Glider Port Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Boynton Beach, Florida 33437
Friday, September 29, 1995 15:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON CLIMB OUT AT 2,500 FEET AGL. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING BY SPIRALING DOWN OVER THE AIRPORT AND OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY. DURING THE SPIRAL THE ENGINE STARTED AND STOPPED 3 TO 4 TIMES. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY FAST, AND BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED AND STOPPED. THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE BELOW A POWER LINE, ACROSS A ROAD AND STARTED A TURN TO AVOID A HOUSING AREA. THE AIRPLANE STALLED, COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN, AND NOSED OVER INTO A CANAL. REVIEW OF REFUELING RECORDS SHOWED THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN 7.31 HOURS ON 50.2 GALLONS OF FUEL. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY THE FAA REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER DECISION TO MAKE A GO-AROUND AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED (VSO) RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION WAS A FACTOR.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/29/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | BOYNTON BEACH |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33437 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WILLIS GLIDER PORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N/A |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 18 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1456 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PBI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 19 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 878 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 29 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1610 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N21WM |
| NTSB Number | MIA95LA240 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MENEAR PITTS |
| Aircraft Model | S-1S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | S-1S |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 01 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 900 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 14 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 7 |
| Airframe Hours | 378 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PRICE M. BERNET |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 230 PALM DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | DELRAY BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33483 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1525 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 9 |
| Runway Length | 3000 |
| Runway Width | 300 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |