Amateur-built Hummel Bird accident near Lakeland, Florida, April 18, 2007
On April 18, 2007 at about 2:20 pm local time, a amateur-built Hummel Bird, registered N555X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeland, Florida (Lakeland Linder Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2007 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida · Lakeland Linder Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Hummel Bird
- Registration
- N555X · registry record · serial HB-3460
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that while turning final to land on runway 27, he was at an altitude of 300 ft. AGL, an airspeed of 65 MPH, and he was closing in on the aircraft that was ahead of him. At this point he said he reduced his airspeed to just below 60 MPH, and when he slowed down he noticed that the aircraft ahead of him started to increase altitude. He was still closing on that aircraft and decided to go around on the inside. He made a hard bank to the left, and was at an altitude of 195 feet AGL, when his aircraft stalled. He said he made corrections in an attempt to recover, and his aircraft abruptly turned right, causing his head to strike the canopy, and he lost consciousness. The pilot said that prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to his aircraft or any of its systems.
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: 269 hours in all; 129 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 234 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 125 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 560 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen Ae567997 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAL Lakeland FL at 2:00 pm
- Destination: LAL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from LAL
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.