Amateur-built AVID FLYER accident near Grant-Valkaria, Florida, October 13, 2018
On October 13, 2018 at about 4:05 pm local time, a 1993 amateur-built AVID FLYER, registered N3HH, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Grant-Valkaria, Florida. 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
A total loss of engine power due to a carburetor malfunction, which resulted in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 2018 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Grant-Valkaria, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AVID FLYER NO SERIES, built 1993
- Registration
- N3HH · registry record · serial 1066D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was in cruise flight when the engine lost partial power, then total power. He restarted the engine and briefly regained partial power, but shortly thereafter, the engine again lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a road, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. A test run of the engine indicated no anomalies; however, further inspection revealed a stuck float needle in the carburetor and a clogged carburetor vent line, which could have led to an excess vacuum in the carburetor and restricted fuel flow. It is likely that this restriction caused a transient condition that resulted in the loss of engine power that was not replicated during the test run.
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 (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute (descent)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel controlling system › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 110 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 50 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 12, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 63 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 2018; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,151 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 80 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OBE Okeechobee FL at 3:15 pm
- Destination: X59 Valkaria FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from MLB, 10 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 15, 2021. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3HH 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.