Amateur-built COMFORT accident near Lakeland, Florida, March 15, 1984
On March 15, 1984 at about 7:35 pm local time, a amateur-built COMFORT, registered N19FH, was destroyed in an accident near Lakeland, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 1984 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built COMFORT
- Registration
- N19FH · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE PERFORMING AEROBATICS AT AN AIRSHOW, THE FABRIC ON TOP OF THE UPPER WING STARTED SEPARATING FROM THE WING. THE PLT CONTINUED FLYING THE ACFT & TRIED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. HOWEVER, WHEN FLT COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED WITH FULL POWER, DUE TO LOSS OF AIRSPEED & ALT, THE PLT PARACHUTED FROM THE ACFT. THE ACFT CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD & BURNED. THE PLT'S PARACHUTE OPENED JUST SECONDS BEFORE HE IMPACTED THE GROUND. HE RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES DURING GROUND CONTACT AFTER INITIATING HIS BAIL-OUT AT APRX 500 FT. THE OWNER/BUILDER STATED THAT HE REALIZED THAT FABRIC OF AEROBATIC ACFT NORMALLY HAVE STICHES 1 INCH APART, BUT HE BUILT HIS WITH STICHES 2 INCHES APART. HE STATED THAT WHEN HE BUILT THE ACFT, HE DID NOT PLAN TO ALLOW AEROBATICS TO BE DONE WITH THE ACFT.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,760 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 104 in the last 90 days; 6,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 23, 1983; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,256 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-670 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:47 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA84FA106.