Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pahokee, Florida 33476
Saturday, December 1, 2012 13:19 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Family members reported the airplane overdue for arrival, so an alert notice was issued. The local authorities located the airplane the following day. Air traffic control records indicate that, during the accident flight, the pilot was operating under visual flight rules while receiving radar traffic advisory service from an air traffic controller. The air traffic controller noticed a potential conflict with a Boeing 757 and acted to maintain traffic separation by instructing the 757 pilot to maintain 8,000 feet, asking the accident pilot to maintain at or below 7,500 feet, and providing a wake turbulence cautionary advisory. The accident airplane was at 7,800 feet at the time, and the pilot advised that he was descending to comply with the controller’s instructions. When the two aircraft were separated horizontally by about 1 to 2 miles, the accident pilot reported the 757 in sight. Radar data indicated that the accident airplane passed directly beneath the Boeing 757, within 500 feet of vertical separation, traveling in roughly the opposite direction. Although the geometry and the timing of the airplane’s passing each other suggest the possibility of a wake turbulence encounter, the accident pilot made no comment about encountering turbulence. Although radar data showed the accident airplane turning left as if to get out from under the 757's flight track, it then turned back to the right and continued climbing on a northwesterly heading for about 2 1/2 minutes until reaching 8,300 feet. The airplane then turned right and descended to 7,200 feet before it was lost from radar. During the descent, the wings separated from the airplane due to overstress in a positive direction. The reason for the descent and in-flight overstress of the airplane could not be determined. The two aircraft were operating in class E airspace, and Federal Aviation Administration directives do not require 1,000-feet separation for aircraft in this airspace.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The descent and overstress of the airplane during the descent, which resulted in the in-flight breakup of the airplane.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/1/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1319 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pahokee |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33476 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 264619N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0804008W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1315 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 235 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PHK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 16 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4900 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.2 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32526 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SROCC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 9 2014 5:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N118GG |
| NTSB Number | ERA13FA071 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GREEN GARY E |
| Aircraft Model | THORP T-18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 949 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 902 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| 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 | Feb 24 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2498 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | David E Flatter |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | KALISPELL |
| Aircraft Owner State | MT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 59901-8397 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | David E Flatter |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | KALISPELL |
| Operator State | MT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 59901-8397 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | PMP |
| Departure City | Pompano Beach |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1259 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LAL |
| Destination City | Lakeland |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 9 2014 5:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |