Amateur-built ONE DESIGN accident near Lakeland, Florida, April 7, 1997
On April 7, 1997 at about 5:20 pm local time, a amateur-built ONE DESIGN, registered N213JR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeland, Florida (Lakeland-Linder Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 1997 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida · Lakeland-Linder Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ONE DESIGN
- Registration
- N213JR · no longer on the register · serial 0156
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was observed making a crosswind landing. As the pilot started his round out/flare, the nose pitched up and the airplane banked to the left. The airplane touched down on the left main gear and tailwheel. The airplane started to porpoise and bounced four times before the pilot initiated a go-around. The tailwheel broke off on the third bounce. The witness called the advisory tower, informed them of the situation, and asked them to relay the information to the control tower, so they could inform the pilot. The pilot made a low pass by the tower to confirm the damage. A short time later the pilot informed the tower that his windshield was obscured by oil. He made another approach which resulted in a go-around. He remained in closed traffic and made an emergency landing to the grass.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,800 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 5,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 97 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 30, 1997; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 55J Fernando Beach FL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: LAL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27L, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:28 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.
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.