Star-Lite Engineering Ltd WARP 1A accident near Lakeland, FL
On April 21, 1998, a Star-Lite Engineering Ltd WARP 1A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lakeland, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 21, 1998
- Place
- Lakeland, FL
- Aircraft
- Star-Lite Engineering Ltd WARP 1A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 27.980°N, 82.009°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X09925
NTSB summary
On April 21, 1998, about 1054 eastern daylight time, a Star-Lite Engineering LTD, N914SL, registered to Star-Lite Engineering LTD, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while maneuvering in the vicinity of Lakeland-Linder Regional airport, Lakeland, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Lakeland-Linder Airport, about 4 minutes before the accident. Witnesses stated they observed the airplane on takeoff from runway 09 at the ultralight strip and on initial climb out flying towards the south-southwest in the vicinity of the GEICO Insurance Building. A witness who observed the takeoff stated it appeared that the pilot departed with a little bit of a tailwind and forced the airplane off the runway. He climbed out at a very slow airspeed on the verge of a stall. He leveled off at about a 100 feet, started a shallow turn to the right, and the bank increased between 60 to 90 degrees. The nose pitched down and the airplane disappeared below the tree line and buildings. Another witness stated the airplane rolled over inverted in a descending attitude before the airplane disappeared from view. No change in engine noise was heard. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport, Lakeland, Florida, 1054 surface weather information was: 1,500 scattered, 4,000 broken, visibility 8 miles, temperature 76 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 66 degrees Fahrenheit, wind from 040 degrees
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, while maneuvering on crosswind in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and an in-flight collision with a building and the terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's decision to take off with a right quartering tailwind, and his lack of experience in the make and model of airplane.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
