Summary
On August 03, 1999, a William Jay Kinney CHALLENGER II (N14131) was involved in an incident near Pahokee, FL. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: Failure of the engine to propeller drive belt for undetermined reasons, resulting in loss of engine power, and a forced landing to unsuitable terrain.
On August 3, 1999, about 0930 eastern daylight time, a William J. Kinney/Challenger II, N14131, registered to, and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed on Kreamer Island in Lake Okeechobee, shortly after takeoff from Palm Beach County Glades Airport, Pahokee, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the private-rated pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that he had just taken off from runway 35, made a left crosswind turn and was at about 500 feet on a southerly heading, when the engine to propeller drive belt broke. He executed a forced landing on Kreamer Island.
This incident is documented in NTSB report MIA99LA213. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N14131.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
failure of the engine to propeller drive belt for undetermined reasons, resulting in loss of engine power, and a forced landing to unsuitable terrain.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On August 3, 1999, about 0930 eastern daylight time, a William J. Kinney/Challenger II, N14131, registered to, and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed on Kreamer Island in Lake Okeechobee, shortly after takeoff from Palm Beach County Glades Airport, Pahokee, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the private-rated pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that he had just taken off from runway 35, made a left crosswind turn and was at about 500 feet on a southerly heading, when the engine to propeller drive belt broke. He executed a forced landing on Kreamer Island. The aircraft received substantial damage to the undercarriage, wings and wing struts.
FAA inspectors conducted a postcrash examination of the airplane and noted that the engine to propeller drive belt was missing. The inspectors stated that it appeared that the missing belt was the reason the engine stopped in flight. The belt was not recovered, and the cause of the failure could not be determined.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA99LA213