Amateur-built Lancair 4 accident near Kissimmee, Florida, July 11, 2001
On July 11, 2001 at about 8:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Lancair 4, registered N720BF, was destroyed in an accident near Kissimmee, Florida (Kissimmee Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin, and subsequent impact with the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2001 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kissimmee, Florida · Kissimmee Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Lancair 4
- Registration
- N720BF · no longer on the register · serial 010
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness stated he saw the accident and described the takeoff as "normal." He saw the airplane turn cross wind, continue to climb and turn down wind. He stated the airplane then "...appeared to slow rapidly at around 300 to 400 feet...made a couple of abrupt moves from side to side then turned away from the airport...nosed over and impacted the ground." The post crash fire destroyed about 60 percent of the airplane. An engine teardown revealed no discrepancies.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,193 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 2,952 as pilot in command; 689 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 9, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 65.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 2, 2001; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-550B1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ISM Kissimmee FL at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from ISM, 3 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.