Amateur-built Loehle 5151 Mustang accident near Lake Placid, Florida, July 4, 2002
On July 4, 2002 at about 5:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Loehle 5151 Mustang, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Placid, Florida (Lake Persimmon Airstrip airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed and his inflight loss of control while maneuvering to land following an engine failure. Contributing to the accident was the builder/owner's improper engine installation that resulted in engine overheating and ceasing to operate.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2002 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Placid, Florida · Lake Persimmon Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Loehle 5151 Mustang
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was conducting a test flight and had just made a low pass over the runway, and was turning to base when he noticed a reduction in engine rpms. He said he "steepened" the turn in an attempt to make it back to the runway, and stalled the airplane. He said the airplane fell like a rock, impacting the ground with the right wing down, at a near 45-degree angle with the horizontal, shattering the wooden right wing and damaging the fuselage. An FAA licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic with an inspection authorization rating, examined the accident airplane and stated that the engine had been improperly installed and had not been properly vented back to the expansion tank. He said he found hot spots on the cylinder head, consistent with there having been trapped air in the cylinder head, which resulted in excessive internal temperatures in the engine causing it to cease operating.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Last flight review: May 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 532 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 03FA Lake Placid FL at 5:27 pm
- Destination: 03FA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 2,100 ft by 180 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from VRB, 60 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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG 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.