Republic RC 3 accident near Winter Haven, FL
On July 22, 2016, a Republic RC 3 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Winter Haven, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 22, 2016
- Place
- Winter Haven, FL
- Aircraft
- Republic RC 3 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 28.062°N, 81.754°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160724X20723
Official records · ERA16LA266
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On July 22, 2016, about 0930 eastern daylight time, a Republic RC-3 airplane, N87570, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff from Gilbert Airport (GIF), Winter Haven, Florida. The private pilot was seriously injured, and the commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to the commercial pilot and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight.The commercial pilot died about 3 weeks after the accident on August 11, 2016. About 1 week after the accident, he was interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and said that the takeoff was normal until about 300 ft above ground level when his wife (the private pilot) told him that she smelled fuel. The engine lost power shortly thereafter, and the airplane began to descend and then collided with trees. The engine regained power, but the airplane then impacted terrain and came to rest. He said that he was flying the airplane at the time of the accident and that he was a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic and had worked on the airplane extensively during the time he had owned it. According to FAA records, the private pilot held a third-class medical certificate issued on June 2, 2015 with no limitations. The commercial pilot did not have a current medical certificate. His most recent application for a medical certificate was on November 5, 1983, and this application was denied by the FAA due to his history
Probable cause
Improper installation of a fuel line by unknown personnel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel starvation.
More accidents in FL
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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.
