Kolb FIRESTAR-II UNREG
24 August 1997 · Albany, Georgia, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 24 August 1997 at about 20:45 local time, a Kolb FIRESTAR-II registered UNREG, operated by Ronald Barthelemy, was involved in an accident near Albany, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albany, Georgia, United States
- Coordinates
- 31.5906, -84.2105
- Aircraft
- Kolb FIRESTAR-II
- Registration
- UNREG
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Ronald Barthelemy
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Pvt Grass Strip → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL97LA129
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's physical impairment, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which led to a stall and ground impact.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the owner and builder of the airplane, the plane took off from a grass strip that was about 700 feet long. The pilot circled the grass strip 4 times and made a low pass over the strip. He then turned the airplane back towards the field, and the airplane was observed to stall. It crashed nose first into the terrain. According to the owner, the engine was still running when they arrived at the scene. About three months before the accident, the pilot had applied for a 2nd class medical certificate, which was denied because he was confused, forgetful, and evasive. Investigation revealed that at the time of the accident, the pilot had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and kidney failure for which he was receiving hemodialysis three days a week. In February 1993, the pilot was admitted to a hospital with a left parietal intracerebral hemarrhage (stroke) and seizures, and in January 1996, he was on three anti-seizure medications. The pilot did not report these conditions to the FAA.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Kolb FIRESTAR accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Oct 1999 | Kolb FIRESTAR | London, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 May 1995 | Kolb FIRESTAR II | Cumming, Georgia, United States | Hinklemann, William E. | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1995 | Kolb FIRESTAR | Frankfort, New York, United States | Rocco A. Lamanna | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 2003 | Kolb FIRESTAR | San Diego, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 2018 | Kolb FIRESTAR | Atmore, Alabama, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 2020 | Kolb FIRESTAR 2 | La Center, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 1997 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Augusta, Georgia, United States | Edwin A. Deas | No injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 1997 | Cessna 310K | Bainbridge, Georgia, United States | Pierce M Godwin | No injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 1997 | Cessna 152 | MacOn, Georgia, United States | Southeastern School of Aero. | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 May 1997 | Cessna 150K | Ball Ground, Georgia, United States | Firefox Aviation, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 1997 | Cessna 172M | Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States | The Flight School | No injuries | - |
| 21 May 1997 | Beechcraft E55 | Griffin, Georgia, United States | Bobby W. Morrow | No injuries | - |