Franklin DRIFTER XP-503 accident near Lake Wales, Florida, July 4, 1988
On July 4, 1988 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Franklin DRIFTER XP-503, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N65DF, was destroyed in an accident near Lake Wales, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1988 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Franklin DRIFTER XP-503 DRIFTER XP, amateur-built
- Registration
- N65DF · registry record · serial DR 0365
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE OWNER RPRTD THE PLT FLEW THE ACFT AT A COMPANY PICNIC WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. COMPANY PSNL SAW THE EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR BUILT ACFT TAKEOFF FROM THE COMPANY STRIP, THEN MANEUVER FOR A LOW PASS OVER THE AREA AT ABOUT 150 TO 200 FT AGL. SOME ESTIMATED THE PASS WAS MADE WITH A SPEED IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH. THE NEVER EXCEED (VNE) SPEED FOR THE ACFT WAS 95 MPH. AS THE ACFT APCHD THE AREA OF THE PICNIC, WITNESSES HEARD A BUZZING OR FLUTTERING SOUND. AS IT CONTINUED OVERHEAD, WITNESSES NOTED THE LEFT AILERON HAD BECOME DETACHED FROM THE OUTBOARD END & HAD FOLDED AFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE RGT AILERON FAILED IN A SIMILAR MANNER. THE ACFT ENTERED A CLIMB & SOME WITNESSES NOTED A POWER REDUCTION AS IF THE PLT WAS TRYING TO SLOW THE ACFT. HOWEVER, THE ACFT ROLLED & ENTERED A DSCNT WHICH WAS DESCRIBED AS A STALL/SPIN CONDITION. RPRTDLY, THE PLT WAS AWARE OF THE ACFT'S TENDENCY TO ENCTR AILERON BUZZ OR FLUTTER WHEN ACCELERATED ABOVE 100 MPH.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 43 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1988; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 532LC (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Maxair Aircraft CORP.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from MCO, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.