Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Merritt Island, Florida 32952
Friday, March 4, 1988 7:10 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE CHECKING THE STALL CHARACTERISTICS OF A HOMEBUILT ACFT, THE ACFT DESCENDED IN A STALLED CONDITION UNTIL CRASHING INTO A RIVER. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE NOSE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT HE IMPROPERLY POSITIONED BAFFLES IN THE FUEL TANKS RESULTING IN AN INCREASE OF 20 GALLONS. IF THE ANGLE OF ATTACK WERE NOSE HIGH FUEL WOULD SHIFT AFT RESULTING IN AN OUT OF LIMIT AFT C.G. THE FUSELAGE HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY LEVELLED RESULTING IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. AS A RESULT THE POSITION OF THE AIRFOIL SHAPED TANKS LOCATED FWD OF EACH WING & BONDED TO THE FUSELAGE WERE IMPROPERLY POSITIONED. THE FUEL TANKS ARE PART OF THE WING & PROVIDE LIFT. THIS MOVED THE CENTER OF LIFT FWD, & WITH THE AFT SHIFTING OF FUEL RESULTED IN THE NOSE HIGH DESCENT. ACCORDING TO A PLT WHO HAS FLOWN A SIMILARLY DESIGNED ACFT, DURING FLT TESTING IT STALLED & DESCENDED IN THE SAME ATTITUDE OF THE ACCIDENT ACFT. RECOVERY OCCURRED WHEN HE ADDED AND MAINTAINED FULL POWER.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/4/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 710 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | MERRITT ISLAND |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32952 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 654 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 332 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TIX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 35 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 519 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 21 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 900 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 36339 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N128JM |
| NTSB Number | MIA88LA203 |
| 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 | HUNTER |
| Aircraft Model | VELOCITY |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | VELOCITY |
| Aircraft Serial Number | DM048 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2250 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 1 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JACK A. MASON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 9 WESTBROOK RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | NORTHBORO |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 01532 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NEIL W. HUNTER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 421 THRUSH DR. |
| Operator City | SATELLITE BEACH |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 32937 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | COI |
| Departure City | MERRITT ISLAND |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 630 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| 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 | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |