- Date
- August 28, 2025, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hearne, TX · runway
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N605MNGlasair GlaStar
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Fire/smoke (non-impact)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 20, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20250828015669A
- Case key
- 200903
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The inflight engine compartment fire for reasons that could not be determined.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that about 30 minutes into the local flight, he heard some crackling in the radio reception and then the cockpit flight displays went blank. The engine stumbled and lost power completely. The pilot was operating the airplane in the airport traffic pattern at that time and decided to secure the engine to set up for a forced landing to the runway. Smoke began entering the cockpit during the landing flare, and then the pilot noticed flames on the right side of the airplane. After he stopped the airplane, he exited, obtained a fire extinguisher, and called the fire department. The airplane sustained substantial fire damage to the fuselage, empennage, and engine mounts. A postaccident examination revealed extensive thermal damage to the engine and within the engine compartment. The damage extended into the cockpit and cabin area, and then along the right side to the aft fuselage. While clear that the fire started within the engine compartment, the extent of the damage prevented a determination of the exact location and source of the fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N605MN
- Reported as
- Glasair GlaStar
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 5368
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 158
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 15, 2024 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- PVT · Gause, TX
- Destination
- LHB · Hearne, TX
- Airport
- LHB · Hearne Municipal, runway 18, 4,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 9, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 13,500 total · 165 in this make and model · 165 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 7 knots, gusting 2
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KLHB
- METAR
- METAR KLHB 282315Z AUTO 14007KT 10SM FEW070 FEW085 36/22 A2988
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 20, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 68.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.