Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lake Wales, Florida 33853
Monday, July 4, 1988 19:50 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE OWNER RPRTD THE PLT FLEW THE ACFT AT A COMPANY PICNIC WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. COMPANY PSNL SAW THE EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR BUILT ACFT TAKEOFF FROM THE COMPANY STRIP, THEN MANEUVER FOR A LOW PASS OVER THE AREA AT ABOUT 150 TO 200 FT AGL. SOME ESTIMATED THE PASS WAS MADE WITH A SPEED IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH. THE NEVER EXCEED (VNE) SPEED FOR THE ACFT WAS 95 MPH. AS THE ACFT APCHD THE AREA OF THE PICNIC, WITNESSES HEARD A BUZZING OR FLUTTERING SOUND. AS IT CONTINUED OVERHEAD, WITNESSES NOTED THE LEFT AILERON HAD BECOME DETACHED FROM THE OUTBOARD END & HAD FOLDED AFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE RGT AILERON FAILED IN A SIMILAR MANNER. THE ACFT ENTERED A CLIMB & SOME WITNESSES NOTED A POWER REDUCTION AS IF THE PLT WAS TRYING TO SLOW THE ACFT. HOWEVER, THE ACFT ROLLED & ENTERED A DSCNT WHICH WAS DESCRIBED AS A STALL/SPIN CONDITION. RPRTDLY, THE PLT WAS AWARE OF THE ACFT'S TENDENCY TO ENCTR AILERON BUZZ OR FLUTTER WHEN ACCELERATED ABOVE 100 MPH.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/4/1988
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1950
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City LAKE WALES
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33853
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 7
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 On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1951 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 30
Weather Observation Facility ID MCO
Elevation of weather observation facility 96
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4600
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) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 70
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
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 Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1131
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 4 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2105
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37084
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:56AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N65DF
NTSB Number MIA88FA213
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name FRANKLIN
Aircraft Model DRIFTER XP-503
Aircraft Series Identifier DRIFTER XP
Aircraft Serial Number DR 0365
Certified Max Gross Weight 1000
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 7 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 43
Airframe Hours 43
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DENNIS W. FRANKLIN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3855 HWY 27 NORTH
Aircraft Owner City LAKE WALES
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MAXAIR AIRCRAFT CORP.
Operator Same as Owner? No
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
Departure Country
Departure Time 1945
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 Maneuvering
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 --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --