Amateur-built VELOCITY accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17, 1989
On February 17, 1989 at about 8:23 pm local time, a amateur-built VELOCITY, registered N330RH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was a personal flight 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 INABILITY OF THE PILOT TO RECOVER FROM THE INTENTIONAL STALL WITH AN UNKNOWN C.G.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 1989 · about 8:23 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VELOCITY
- Registration
- N330RH · registry record · serial DM069
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE INTENTIONALLY PERFORMING STALLS, THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER THE ACFT FROM A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE BEFORE COLLIDING WITH TERRAIN. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WEIGHT & BALANCE CALCULATIONS COULD NOT BE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE THE C.G. AS THE PLT WOULD NOT PROVIDE THE PERTINENT INFORMATION. VELOCITY MANUFACTURER PERSONNEL STATED THE C.G. WAS AFT OF THE LIMIT. AS A RESULT A LETTER WAS SENT TO BUILDERS/OWNERS OF THESE ACFT ADVISING THEM TO REFRAIN FROM OPERATING THE ACFT WITH A C.G. AFT OF 118.5'. A SECOND LETTER WAS SENT WHICH ADVISED OWNERS TO MODIFY THE WING FUEL TANK BULKHEAD LOCATIONS AS WELL AS TO SUGGEST POSSIBLE CHANGES SUCH AS: LIMIT THE ACFT C.G. RANGE; SHORTEN THE CANARD; MOVE THE ENGINE FORWARD; & CHANGE THE FUEL TANK STRAKES. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO TEST THE MODIFICATION OF THE CANARD.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:47 pm from FXE, 12 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 N330RH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.