Amateur-built Twinjet 1500 accident near Melbourne, Florida, January 24, 2003
On January 24, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Twinjet 1500, registered N750TJ, was destroyed in an accident near Melbourne, Florida (Melbourne Regional airport). It was a flight test 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 pilot-in-command failed to obtain sufficient altitude to clear obstacles at the approach end of the airport which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Melbourne, Florida · Melbourne Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Twinjet 1500
- Registration
- N750TJ · no longer on the register · serial 001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported a problem with the landing gear after takeoff, and had asked the tower to check the position of the landing gear. On the first pass the gear was partially extended, on the second pass the gear appeared to be fully retracted. The pilot informed the tower that he would make an intentional gear-up landing between the taxiway and the runway to the grass. The airplane was observed at an altitude below the height of the control tower. All the witnesses interviewed agreed that the aircraft was never higher than 200 to 300 feet, more like tree top level, and was pitching and banking very steeply in turns. On the final circuit the pilot reported that he was having trim problems, and that he would now land on runway 9L. As the aircraft approached the base leg to final turn the tower operator momentarily diverted his attention away from the aircraft. When he looked up the aircraft was gone and smoke was rising from the crash site. Examination of the wreckage after the crash revealed no discrepancies. A witness revealed that the pilot was reported to have been sick with flu like ailments for at least a week prior to the accident. The day prior to the accident the pilot was scheduled to fly the aircraft for testing, and appeared so ill that he was instructed to go home. Toxicological tests on the pilot-in-command, revealed that Salicylate [and] Pseudoephedrine were detected in Urine, "61.54 (ug/ml, ug/g).
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 5,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: General Electric T58 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMLB Melbourne FL at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9R, 9,483 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from MLB
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.