Gutierrez Pablino HUMMEL BIRD accident near DeFuniak Springs, FL
On May 9, 2012, a Gutierrez Pablino HUMMEL BIRD (airplane) was involved in an accident near DeFuniak Springs, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 9, 2012
- Place
- DeFuniak Springs, FL
- Aircraft
- Gutierrez Pablino HUMMEL BIRD · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 30.731°N, 86.154°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120509X31107
Official records · ERA12FA326
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn May 9, 2012, about 1110 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built, Gutierrez Hummel Bird airplane, N9001N, registered to, and operated by, the commercial pilot, impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude at the DeFuniak Springs Airport (54J), DeFuniak Springs, Florida. The pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to eyewitness reports, the pilot was observed performing maintenance to the airplane prior to the flight. One of the witnesses stated that he observed the pilot conduct a lengthy preflight before starting the engine by hand, followed by a ground engine run-up, and then taxi to runway 27. Witnesses observed the airplane accelerate, roll down the runway, rotate, and climb about 30 to 40 feet above the runway when the airplane started varying its altitude. They watched as the airplane porpoised a few times as it continued to climb. When it reached an estimated altitude of 300 feet above ground level (agl), it pitched nose high and rolled to the right. The airplane nosedived and collided with the ground in an approximate 80 degree nose-down attitude. The airplane came to rest on its main gear in the upright position facing 120-degrees from the departing runway. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 77, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine and multi-engine land, and instrument
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control due to the airplane’s exceedence of its maximum gross weight and center of gravity’s most rearward limit and his lack of familiarity with the airplane make and model, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to knowingly operate the airplane over the maximum allowable gross wei
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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.
