Mead KOLB FIRESTAR II UNREG

Summary

On 17 July 2000 at about 00:50 local time, a Mead KOLB FIRESTAR II registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Gwinn, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 July 2000 at 00:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Gwinn, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

46.2909, -87.4302

Aircraft

Mead KOLB FIRESTAR II

Registration

UNREG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI00LA206

1 person died.

the pilot not obtaining/maintaining altitude/clearance. Factors were the tree and the high density altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

An unregistered airplane was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain following takeoff. The uncertificated pilot was fatally injured. A neighbor stated, '... that he lives a few houses away from the crash site, and heard the engine of the aircraft 'reving up' for approximately 2 minutes, and then heard a loud 'boom.' He stated that he thought it was a crash, and went to the scene, and called 9-1-1 on his cellular telephone.' During an on-scene examination the aircraft was found in a nose-down attitude with its wing leading edges and cockpit area crushed. Three 5 gallon tanks were found. The ballistic chute had been deployed, did not open, and its attach cable was found under the left wing. The aircraft contacted a tree after takeoff. No pre-impact anomalies were found, the ignition produced spark, and the cylinders had compression. At 2055, weather was: Wind 230 degrees at 4 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 28 degrees C; dew point 14 degrees C; altimeter 29.82 inches of mercury. At 2055, density altitude at the Sawyer International Airport was 3,173 feet above mean sea level.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.