Amateur-built Sky Raider II accident near Newsmyrna Beach, Florida, August 27, 2001
On August 27, 2001 at about 1:43 pm local time, a amateur-built Sky Raider II, registered N64KS, was destroyed in an accident near Newsmyrna Beach, Florida (Massey Ranch Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while performing an emergency maneuver, resulting in a stall and an uncontrolled descent, and the subsequent collision with terrain. A factors was, the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2001 · about 1:43 pm local time
- Place
- Newsmyrna Beach, Florida · Massey Ranch Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Sky Raider II
- Registration
- N64KS · no longer on the register · serial SRII011
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff, the airplane climbed to approximately 200 feet above ground level, then lost engine power. The pilot attempted to return to the runway. During the maneuver, airspeed was not maintained, and the airplane stalled and dove straight into the ground. Fuel was observed leaking from the wreckage at the accident site. The engine was removed for examination, and the drive train rotated freely when manipulated by hand. All three propeller blades were found broken off the hub. Examination of the engine and flight controls revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction. Diazepam (valium), a prescription medication, was detected during the toxicological examination.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
Crew member
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X50 Newsmyrna Beach FL at 1:42 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,845 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KDAB, 14 miles away
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.