Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lakeland, Florida 33803
Thursday, March 15, 1984 14:35 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE PERFORMING AEROBATICS AT AN AIRSHOW, THE FABRIC ON TOP OF THE UPPER WING STARTED SEPARATING FROM THE WING. THE PLT CONTINUED FLYING THE ACFT & TRIED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. HOWEVER, WHEN FLT COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED WITH FULL POWER, DUE TO LOSS OF AIRSPEED & ALT, THE PLT PARACHUTED FROM THE ACFT. THE ACFT CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD & BURNED. THE PLT'S PARACHUTE OPENED JUST SECONDS BEFORE HE IMPACTED THE GROUND. HE RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES DURING GROUND CONTACT AFTER INITIATING HIS BAIL-OUT AT APRX 500 FT. THE OWNER/BUILDER STATED THAT HE REALIZED THAT FABRIC OF AEROBATIC ACFT NORMALLY HAVE STICHES 1 INCH APART, BUT HE BUILT HIS WITH STICHES 2 INCHES APART. HE STATED THAT WHEN HE BUILT THE ACFT, HE DID NOT PLAN TO ALLOW AEROBATICS TO BE DONE WITH THE ACFT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/15/1984 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1435 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | LAKELAND |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33803 |
| Event Date Year | 1984 |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1447 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LAL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 142 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 800 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| 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) | 643 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 24348 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N19FH |
| NTSB Number | MIA84FA106 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SOUTHERN |
| Aircraft Model | COMFORT |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | COMFORT |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 001 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2256 |
| 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 | Dec 23 1983 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 25 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FRANK E. HOWELL JR. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2325 OLD POLK CITY ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAKELAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33805 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JOHN H. HELTON |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2966 ANNA |
| Operator City | RIVERSIDE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92506 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| 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 | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:36AM |
| 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 | -- |