Summary
On April 11, 1998, a Krips KOLB FIRESTAR (UNREG) was involved in an accident near Dallas, GA. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed for the existing wind conditions.
On April 11, 1998, about 1645 eastern daylight time, an unregistered, homebuilt, Kolb Firestart airplane, collided with trees during approach to land at a private strip near Dallas, Georgia, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed and the non-rated pilot received serious injuries. The flight originated from the private strip minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he took off from an 800-foot grass strip. He flew around for about 8 minutes and then made a left pattern to return to the strip for a landing to the north. While turning from base leg to final leg he encountered a strong tail wind or downdraft.
This accident is documented in NTSB report MIA98LA129. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft UNREG.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed for the existing wind conditions.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On April 11, 1998, about 1645 eastern daylight time, an unregistered, homebuilt, Kolb Firestart airplane, collided with trees during approach to land at a private strip near Dallas, Georgia, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed and the non-rated pilot received serious injuries. The flight originated from the private strip minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he took off from an 800-foot grass strip. He flew around for about 8 minutes and then made a left pattern to return to the strip for a landing to the north. While turning from base leg to final leg he encountered a strong tail wind or downdraft. The aircraft began to sink and he applied full power, attempting to climb. The aircraft struck the top of tree at the south end of the runway.
The aircraft was not registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. The aircraft builder had reserved a registration number for the aircraft; however, he did not register the aircraft with the FAA after it was built. The pilot did not hold any FAA pilot or medical certificates.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA98LA129