Glasair SH-2R accident near Panama City, FL
On September 5, 1998, a Glasair SH-2R (airplane) was involved in an accident near Panama City, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 5, 1998
- Place
- Panama City, FL
- Aircraft
- Glasair SH-2R · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 30.200°N, 85.509°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X11122
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 5, 1998, about 1008 central daylight time, a Thurston Sumner Glasair SH-2R, N534TS, registered to a private individual, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while attempting a precautionary landing to Sandy Creek Airpark, Panama City, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed, and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from the same airport about 1000, the same day. According to witnesses who were the pilot's neighbors in the airpark who assembled to watch the newly finished airplane's first flight, the engine was heard to cough and sputter at about 100 feet agl, on takeoff from runway 9. The spectators included the pilot's main helper and neighbor, a pilot/mechanic who was communicating with him by handheld radio, The engine sputter smoothed out and the airplane was observed to enter a shallow left bank at 500 to 600 feet agl, go out of sight beyond a tree line, then reappear and set up for a right base leg to a downwind landing on runway 27. The propeller was turning, but witnesses could not confirm the amount of power the engine was developing. The pilot overshot the runway centerline, entered a steep right bank to correct, brought the nose up to a landing attitude at about 50 to 75 feet agl, and held that attitude until touchdown. The airplane impacted level grass terrain at a high rate of descent about 40 feet left of the runway's left edge, shed the nose landing gear and the left main gear, broke the r
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate during a precautionary landing following a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
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Browse: Florida
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
