Amateur-built B2B/582 accident near Haines City, Florida, May 16, 1997
On May 16, 1997 at about 9:03 pm local time, a amateur-built B2B/582, registered N43CT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Haines City, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots inadvertent activation of the rear carburetor choke lever during routine engine maintenance the day before the accident. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing and also failure of the engine manufacturer to include the preflight examination of the choke levers for proper position.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 1997 · about 9:03 pm local time
- Place
- Haines City, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built B2B/582
- Registration
- N43CT · registry record · serial B2B-K061
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The day before the accident flight the pilot added oil to the rotary valve reservoir and while doing so, inadvertently dropped the reservoir cap gasket. He searched for but was unable to locate the gasket and replaced it. The day of the accident he performed a preflight to the airplane using a homemade checklist which did not mention to check the choke for proper position. He checked the engine using the engine manufacturers checklist which only mentioned that the choke be checked for freedom of movement not proper position. He performed an engine run-up before departure with no discrepancies noted. After takeoff during the initial climb, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. During an emergency descent the airplane collided with trees. Post accident examination of the engine by the pilot revealed that the manual choke of the rear carburetor was activated.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 674 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 580 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 1997; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,165 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 1,687 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from BOW
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.