Kolb Company FIRESTAR-II accident near Albany, Georgia, August 24, 1997
On August 24, 1997 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Kolb Company FIRESTAR-II, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albany, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's physical impairment, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which led to a stall and ground impact.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1997 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Albany, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kolb Company FIRESTAR-II FIRESTAR-I, amateur-built
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the owner and builder of the airplane, the plane took off from a grass strip that was about 700 feet long. The pilot circled the grass strip 4 times and made a low pass over the strip. He then turned the airplane back towards the field, and the airplane was observed to stall. It crashed nose first into the terrain. According to the owner, the engine was still running when they arrived at the scene. About three months before the accident, the pilot had applied for a 2nd class medical certificate, which was denied because he was confused, forgetful, and evasive. Investigation revealed that at the time of the accident, the pilot had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and kidney failure for which he was receiving hemodialysis three days a week. In February 1993, the pilot was admitted to a hospital with a left parietal intracerebral hemarrhage (stroke) and seizures, and in January 1996, he was on three anti-seizure medications. The pilot did not report these conditions to the FAA.
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: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12 hours
- 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 Pvt Grass Strip GA at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 700 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:47 pm from ABY, 8 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 UNREG 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.