Amateur-built D-9 accident near Okeechobee, Florida, September 11, 1985
On September 11, 1985 at about 11:00 pm local time, a amateur-built D-9, registered N12HD, was destroyed in an accident near Okeechobee, Florida (River Acres airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- September 11, 1985 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Okeechobee, Florida · River Acres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built D-9
- Registration
- N12HD · registry record · serial 109
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT HAD FLOWN ONLY 4 HAS IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS IN A CESSNA 150 TYPE ACFT & HAD NEVER FLOWN A JODEL 09 BEFORE. THE PLT BOARDED THE ACFT, DECLINED A COCKPIT CHECK BY THE OWNER & MADE AN IMMEDIATE TAKE OFF. THE PLT TOOK OFF FROM THE GRASS STRIP WITHOUT PERFORMING ANY PREFLT CHECK, ENG RUN UP OR MAGCHECK. THE TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED EXPERIMENTAL ACFT WAS OBSERVED BY 2 PLT WITNESSES TO MAKE THE ENTIRE TAKE OFF RUN IN A 3 POINT ATTITUDE. THE ACFT CLIMBED AWAY FROM THE GROUND IN A VERY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, LEVELED OFF, THEN ENTER A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE AGAIN. THIS ERRATIC FLT PATH WAS REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER A STALL THEN SPIN TO THE GROUND FROM AN ALT OF 150 TO 200 FT. THE OWNER OF THE ACFT DESCRIBED THE ACFT AS EASY TO FLY BUT 'A LITTLE SENSITIVE ON THE CONTROLS.
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: 500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 424 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 1985; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 813 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-145-B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Okeeechobee FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 4,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from VRB, 35 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 N12HD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 MIA85FA251.