Mead KOLB FIRESTAR II accident near Gwinn, MI
On July 17, 2000, a Mead KOLB FIRESTAR II (airplane) was involved in an accident near Gwinn, MI. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 17, 2000
- Place
- Gwinn, MI
- Aircraft
- Mead KOLB FIRESTAR II · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 46.291°N, 87.430°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X21397
NTSB summary
On July 16, 2000, about 2050 eastern daylight time, an unregistered Mead Kolb Firestar II, piloted by an uncertificated pilot was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain following a takeoff from a private airstrip near Gwinn, Michigan. The personal flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot was fatally injured. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident. A neighbor stated to the police, "... that he lives a few houses away from the crash site, and heard the engine of the aircraft 'reving up' for approximately 2 minutes, and then heard a loud 'boom.' He stated that he thought it was a crash, and went to the scene, and called 9-1-1 on his cellular telephone." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) preformed an on-scene examination of the wreckage. The FAA inspector stated, "The Aircraft was in a nose down attitude. The wing leading edges and cockpit area were crushed. Fuel was visible in the fuel lines and in three 5 gallon tanks. The ballistic chute had been deployed, but did not open. The chute attachment cable had contacted the propeller while still spinning, causing damage to each blade tip. Also, the attach cable was under the left wing, indicating an unusual attitude of the aircraft prior to impact. The aircraft contacted a small tree (15') just after takeoff. It was reported that the engine was running and a loud pop was heard." In a telephone interview, the FAA inspector stated that no pre-impact anomalies were found, the ignition produ
Probable cause
the pilot not obtaining/maintaining altitude/clearance. Factors were the tree and the high density altitude.
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Browse: Michigan
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
