Classic Aircraft Corp. S-51D accident near Tamarac, Florida, May 20, 1999
On May 20, 1999 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Classic Aircraft Corp. S-51D, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N25VV, was destroyed in an accident near Tamarac, Florida (Fort Lauderdale Executive airport). 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
A complete loss of engine power caused by the malfunctioning landing gear, which blocked the radiator scoop, leading to increased fuel temperature and the subsequent vapor lock condition and fuel blockage. A secondary cause was the pilot's failure to maintain flying speed resulting in the subsequent stall/mush
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 1999 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Tamarac, Florida · Fort Lauderdale Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Classic Aircraft Corp. S-51D, amateur-built
- Registration
- N25VV · no longer on the register · serial CL-1001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the morning of the accident the airplane had flown for about 1.2 hours, landed, was refueled, and shut down for a an unknown period of time. After start up the pilot taxied to the active runway, and was delayed in taking off by ATC, due to traffic. The time between engine start and takeoff was about 16 minutes. About 11 nautical miles west of the airport, the pilot radioed the control tower that he was having a problem raising the landing gear and he wanted to return to the airport. The pilot then radioed that he had lost the engine. Radar and radio contact was lost shortly thereafter. A witness heard the engine losing power, and sputtering. The witness also observed the airplane make a controlled descent towards the ground. On-site examination revealed that the approximately 10-foot-high brush, to the west of the ground impact site was bent towards the east, and the area of bent brush was about 20 feet in length. There were no ground scars to indicate that the airplane had any forward movement after impacting the soft ground. A test run of the engine was performed and revealed that when the engine was brought to cruise RPMs, and running for about 10 minutes, the fuel temperature reached 153 degrees F, which set up a vapor lock condition, the fuel pressure needle fluctuated, went to zero, and the engine completely shut down. The engine was allowed to cool and then started again. On the second run the fuel temperature reached 152 degrees F, the RPM and fuel pressure fluctuated, and the engine completely stopped, similar to the first run. A test on a similar airplane revealed that while cycling the landing gear, the wheels would pass in front of the radiator scoop. With the gear partially up, but not in the wheel well, the gear almost completely blocked the radiator scoop, which would have caused cooling air to be blocked or deflected.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 29,000 hours in all; 3 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Chevrolet 502 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Ft. Lauderdale FL at 5:51 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from FXE, 10 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.