Kolb Company FIRESTAR II accident near Cumming, Georgia, May 8, 1995
On May 8, 1995 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Kolb Company FIRESTAR II, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N47WH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cumming, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT/OWNER'S FAILURE TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOOSE SPARK PLUG LEAD. A FACTOR WAS THE ROUGH TERRAIN CONDITIONS AT THE LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 1995 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cumming, Georgia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kolb Company FIRESTAR II FIRESTAR I, amateur-built
- Registration
- N47WH · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT OBSERVED UNUSUAL ENGINE VIBRATIONS AND NOISE, AND ELECTED TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE RIGHT, MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK A HOLE, AND THE GEAR COLLAPSED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE SPARK PLUG LEADS WAS LOOSE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS, AND THE PILOT/OWNER DID NOT POSSESS A CURRENT BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW OR FAA MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.
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
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 725 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE GA at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from PDK, 210 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N47WH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.