Amateur-built AMTR accident near Land O' Lakes, Florida, August 27, 1991
On August 27, 1991 at about 8:30 pm local time, a amateur-built AMTR, registered N12JF, was destroyed in an accident near Land O' Lakes, Florida. 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 POOR IN FLIGHT DECISION OF THE PILOT TO FLY NEAR THUNDERSTORMS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED TURBULENCE RESULTING IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AND IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1991 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Land O' Lakes, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AMTR
- Registration
- N12JF · registry record · serial CB-2
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT FLYING THE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURBULENCE NEAR A THUNDERSTORM AND LOST CONTROL IN FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED TO THE GROUND.
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
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all; 80 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 966 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 27, 1991; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: XO5 Growers Corner FL at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 71X Tarpon Springs FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PIE, 23 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.
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 MIA91LA206.