Kolb Company Firestar accident near San Diego, California, March 8, 2003
On March 8, 2003 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Kolb Company Firestar, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N670JW, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Diego, California. 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
propeller delamination due to the pilot's failure to properly secure the rear seat shoulder harness prior to flight. A contributing factor was the soft ground in which the airplane landed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2003 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- San Diego, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kolb Company Firestar, amateur-built
- Registration
- N670JW · no longer on the register · serial 670
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over following an emergency landing in an open field. The pilot was flying westward toward the coastline at 1,500 feet. He heard a "bang," and then felt abnormal vibrations. He elected to perform an emergency landing in an open field. Upon landing in the soft ground the airplane nosed over. Initial inspection revealed a splintered propeller. The manufacturer's examination of the carbon fiber composite propeller revealed numerous indentations on the leading edges and patterns consistent with a foreign object strike that occurred prior to blade delamination. The manufacturer identified a 1.9-inch-wide abrasion mark along the entire blade width that resembled patterns that are commonly associated with nylon safety belt webbing. The aircraft kit manufacturer reported that the standard harness webbing provided by them is 1.75 inches wide. The pilot said that the rear seat of the airplane had the standard factory supplied 3-point harness webbing and the pilot seat had an after market 4-point harness. The airplane is a high wing design, with the wing mounted above and behind the open cockpit. The engine and pusher propeller are mounted on top of the wing.
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: 387 hours in all; 248 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 260 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 27, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 250 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 1, 2003; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 825 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSDM San Diego CA at 6:35 pm
- Destination: KSDM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 6:03 pm from KSDM, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.