Amateur-built Avid Aircraft accident near Delray, Florida, April 1, 2007
On April 1, 2007 at about 6:54 pm local time, a amateur-built Avid Aircraft, registered N9174D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Delray, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during cruise flight for an undetermined reason, and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during an emergency descent, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and in-flight collision with terrain. A factor associated with the accident was the inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2007 · about 6:54 pm local time
- Place
- Delray, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Avid Aircraft
- Registration
- N9174D · no longer on the register · serial 946
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot, with one passenger, was conducing a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight in an experimental, homebuilt airplane. As a result of the accident, the pilot sustained serious injuries, and was unable to recall any details about the accident. According to rescue personnel that responded to the accident site, the pilot reported a loss of engine power during cruise flight, and the accident happened as he was attempting a forced landing in an open field. Witnesses reported seeing the accident airplane fly over the open field, followed by a series of descending, spiral turns over the intended landing site. As the airplane continued the series of turns, it abruptly nosed down, and struck the ground nose first. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. An FAA airworthiness inspector inspected the airplane wreckage after its recovery. The inspector said that the right fuel tank contained about 4 gallons of fuel, and the left fuel tank was empty. He also reported that he did not discover any preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane or the engine.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,750 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 101.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3X1 Delray Beach FL at 6:30 pm
- Destination: 3X1 Delray Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Observation at 2:53 pm from FD08
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.