Loehle P5151 accident near Lakeland, Florida, March 17, 2006
On March 17, 2006 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Loehle P5151, registered N151RG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeland, Florida (South Lakeland 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 delay in initiating landing flare during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power. A factor was the lack of correct venting of the carburetor float bowl.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2006 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida · South Lakeland Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Loehle P5151
- Registration
- N151RG · registry record · serial 5151-14087785
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power shortly after takeoff, and the pilot said he "waited about 1 second too long" before flaring. The airplane landed hard, collapsing the left main landing gear and shearing off the left wing. The fuselage broke in half behind the cockpit. The Rotax 582 UL engine was later disassembled and examined. Numerous discrepancies were observed but most notably was the required factory vent holes were not in the carburetor vent tubes, and the vent tubes were less than 50% of the effective area required to vent the float chambers. Full power could not be achieved during a functional test. After removing the fuel vent tubes from the carburetor float bowl, the engine was restarted and full power was achieved without difficulty.
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: 1,213 hours in all; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,213 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 1, 2006; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 941 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X49 Lakeland FL at 2:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,025 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from LAL, 20 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.