New Kolb Aircraft CO MARK III CLASSIC accident near Deland, Florida, March 24, 2012
On March 24, 2012 at about 2:15 pm local time, a New Kolb Aircraft CO MARK III CLASSIC, registered N528DJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Deland, Florida (Deland Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's lack of preflight planning for potential carburetor icing conditions, and the subsequent flight in those conditions in an airplane not equipped with carburetor heat.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2012 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Deland, Florida · Deland Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- New Kolb Aircraft CO MARK III CLASSIC
- Registration
- N528DJ · no longer on the register · serial M300-2-00026
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental amateur-built airplane, with a carburetor-equipped engine, was airborne for about 1 hour under clear skies when the pilot attempted to land at the departure airport. While at reduced power, and during a traffic pattern turn from base leg to final, the engine lost power. The pilot deployed the airplane's parachute system, and the airplane settled into trees. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preexisting mechanical anomalies, and an estimated 1 gallon of fuel was found in each fuel tank. A representative of the kit manufacturer examined photographs of the fuel tanks with the fuel remaining and indicated that the amount there was not enough to unport the tanks during a turn. He also noted that if the tanks did unport, there still would have been 3 to 4 minutes of fuel in the lines at cruise power plus additional fuel in the carburetor bowl. Temperature and dew point at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. The pilot did not check carburetor icing probability before the flight, and the engine was not equipped with carburetor heat.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 434 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 401 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 23, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 55 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 2012; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 2200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DED Deland FL
- Destination: DED Deland FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from DED, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on November 30, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Factual Observations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 - Fuel Tank Set-up (Courtesy FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2 - Fuel Quantity in Tank (Courtesy FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 3 - Fuel Tank with Pick-up Port (Courtesy FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.