TAMPA, Fla. — A fiery crash Thursday morning near Tampa Executive Airport killed two people, including the pilot — Dr. David Siambanes — who records show was flying without a standard FAA medical certificate.
Watch report from Adam Walser
Bob Katz, a longtime pilot with decades of commercial aviation experience who tracks fatal crashes across the country, said the plane was an experimental aircraft that likely cost over $2 million.
"It is a kit airplane, very high performance, a turboprop engine, a turbine engine, which runs on jet fuel," Katz said.
FAA record raised concerns about pilot's health
Katz said the plane is challenging to fly and requires its pilot to be in top physical condition. He said Siambanes' FAA airman's record suggests that may not have been the case.
"What concerns me is what I see right here, not valid for any class after November 30th of 2021. What this means is that in November of 2020, he attempted to renew his third class medical certificate and was rejected for a disqualifying medical condition," Katz said.
According to the FAA website, disqualifying conditions can include a mental health disorder, a neurological disorder, or a cardiovascular condition.
What is BasicMed?
Siambanes was allowed to continue flying under a program called BasicMed— an alternative to a standard FAA medical certificate approved by Congress in 2017.
We first reported on the BasicMed program in 2023, when 64-year-old William Jeffery Lumpkin crashed into the Gulf in Venice, killing his wife and two other people. Lumpkin also failed to obtain FAA medical clearance and flew under BasicMed.
At the time, we interviewed Richard McSpadden, the director of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which lobbied Congress in support of the BasicMed program.
"I think there's been some 75,000 pilots or so that fly under BasicMed, and it's important to realize it wasn't ever intended to be an easier program or a loophole," McSpadden said.
An FAA study from that time found no difference in accident risk between BasicMed pilots and pilots holding a third-class medical certificate, which is issued for private plane pilots.
Under BasicMed requirements, certificate holders must fill out health questionnaires every 2 years and be examined by their doctor every 4 years.
Expert calls program a 'nuisance to public safety'
While it remains unknown whether a health issue played a role in Thursday's crash, Katz said he does not believe Siambanes should have been allowed to fly without FAA medical clearance.
"That to me is a nuisance to public safety, because his passenger would have had no idea what's going on here, and uh people on the ground whose heads and homes he's flying over, could be easily victimized as well," Katz said.
FAA investigation underway
The FAA is currently investigating what factors may have contributed to Thursday's crash. The final report is not expected for several months.
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Adam Walser has spent more than a decade fighting for what’s right in Tampa Bay as part of the I-Team. He’s helped expose flaws in Florida’s eldercare system and held leaders accountable for questionable HOA practices. Reach out to Adam with any issue you think he needs to investigate.
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