Amateur-built LIGHTNING BUG accident near Crystal River, Florida, April 14, 1999
On April 14, 1999 at about 3:00 pm local time, a amateur-built LIGHTNING BUG, registered N450CH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crystal River, Florida (Crystal River Airport). 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 failure to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 1999 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Crystal River, Florida · Crystal River Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LIGHTNING BUG LIGHTNING
- Registration
- N450CH · no longer on the register · serial 005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a witness, the airplane landed fast and hard on runway 9. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced and stalled, colliding with the runway on the nose gear and one wing. The pilot stated that upon touchdown, the airplane ballooned up about 4 to 5 feet. To avoid damaging the nose gear, he elected to go-around. He applied full power and retracted the nose gear but did not retract the flaps. During the aborted landing the airplane drifted to the right. The right wing tip struck the ground and the airplane cartwheeled coming to rest inverted. Additionally, the pilot added that his assessment of the accident was that his 'focus on personal pilot proficiency was sub-standard.' And in retrospect, he should have spent more time doing approach stalls at high altitude and more touch and go landings.
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: 144 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 82 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 77 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 1998; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Unknown AMW-808 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EDN Enterprise AL at 1:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 4,297 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from PIE, 25 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.
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.