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20250828015669A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Vince Mathews GLASTAR · Hearne, TX · August 28, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 28, 2025 · 18:00 local
Place
Hearne, TX
Airport
Hearne Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N605MN
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN25LA352
Reported as
Vince Mathews Glastar
Reported engine
Lycoming O-320-E2D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
13,500 total165 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days
N605MNRegistered now · Vince Mathews GLASTARS/N 5368 · Built 2022Airframe modelVince Mathews GLASTAREngine modelLycoming O-320-E2D4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

08/28/2025, Approx 1700 - preflight aircraft, fuel check full, oil check 6 1/4 qts. Started aircraft warmed up and taxied to runway. Private grass strip 2251 cr 353 gause TX 77857. Mag and electronic ign chk, good, engine gauges in green, took off flew around for about 30 minutes. Headed to lhb airport. Radio calls for traffic on down wind ,about mid field made another radio call then heard cracking sound in radio. Both dynon screens went out, engine stumbled them came back then went dead. I then cut fuel to off, turned master off and did a 180 to land on runway 18. On flare, outside smoke entered cockpit, I looked out side windows and completed the landing and stopped centerline of runway. Flames started shooting up right side of aircraft. Exited and a friend at airport heard me calling him to bring a fire extinguisher, started putting out fire and called 911 for fire department. Went and got a second fire extinguisher to completely put out fire. Moved aircraft off runway after fire department watered it down. Removed top cowling, unhooked battery and drained fuel from aircraft. Then called NTSB.

As the FAA filed it

08/28/2025, APPROX 1700 - PREFLIGHT AIRCRAFT, FUEL CHECK FULL, OIL CHECK 6 1/4 QTS. STARTED AIRCRAFT WARMED UP AND TAXIED TO RUNWAY. PRIVATE GRASS STRIP 2251 CR 353 GAUSE TX 77857. MAG AND ELECTRONIC IGN CHK, GOOD, ENGINE GAUGES IN GREEN, TOOK OFF FLEW AROUND FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. HEADED TO LHB AIRPORT. RADIO CALLS FOR TRAFFIC ON DOWN WIND ,ABOUT MID FIELD MADE ANOTHER RADIO CALL THEN HEARD CRACKING SOUND IN RADIO. BOTH DYNON SCREENS WENT OUT, ENGINE STUMBLED THEM CAME BACK THEN WENT DEAD. I THEN CUT FUEL TO OFF, TURNED MASTER OFF AND DID A 180 TO LAND ON RUNWAY 18. ON FLARE, OUTSIDE SMOKE ENTERED COCKPIT, I LOOKED OUT SIDE WINDOWS AND COMPLETED THE LANDING AND STOPPED CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY. FLAMES STARTED SHOOTING UP RIGHT SIDE OF AIRCRAFT. EXITED AND A FRIEND AT AIRPORT HEARD ME CALLING HIM TO BRING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, STARTED PUTTING OUT FIRE AND CALLED 911 FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT. WENT AND GOT A SECOND FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO COMPLETELY PUT OUT FIRE. MOVED AIRCRAFT OFF RUNWAY AFTER FIRE DEPARTMENT WATERED IT DOWN. REMOVED TOP COWLING, UNHOOKED BATTERY AND DRAINED FUEL FROM AIRCRAFT. THEN CALLED NTSB.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN25LA352Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportHearne, TXThe inflight engine compartment fire for reasons that could not be determined.Aug 28, 2025 · Substantial damage