Amateur-built KOLB MK3 accident near Winter Haven, Florida, April 8, 1997
On April 8, 1997 at about 4:00 pm local time, a amateur-built KOLB MK3, registered N128BB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winter Haven, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed after an oil leak occurred, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin and subsequent collision with a residence and the terrain. The oil leak and the pilot's diverted attention were related factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 1997 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winter Haven, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KOLB MK3
- Registration
- N128BB · no longer on the register · serial 1015
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses located at a seaplane base and boaters on a lake observed the airplane making touch-and-go landings at the lake. The airplane took off to the north and turned to the west. Blue and white smoke was observed coming from the vicinity of the engine. The airplane appeared to loose forward airspeed while in a climb at about 100 to 200 feet. The left wing dropped, then the airplane entered a spin to the left and collided with a house trailer and the ground. Examination revealed the oil sump return line was disconnected from the oil sump, and oil was found on the leading edge of the empennage (behind the engine). The oil sump was empty, and the stainless steel clamp on the return line was loose. No other precrash mechanical failure was found with the engine, airframe, or flight 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GIF at 3:59 pm
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from LAL, 27 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.
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.