- Date
- December 31, 2025, 16:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- Burnet, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N559TXNanchang China CJ-6A
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20251231019669A
- Case key
- 202249
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 pilot’s failure to secure the airplane before hand-propping the engine, which resulted in the airplane’s unexpected movement and subsequent impact with an airport fence.
Findings · 7
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 airplane was parked on the ramp next to a hangar as the pilot attempted to start the engine with the help of two others. The engine was difficult to start, so the pilot exited the airplane and elected to hand prop the engine. Witnesses stated that the engine started suddenly and unexpectedly. The airplane turned right away from the hangar and taxied quickly. The pilot, who was in front of the left wing, ran toward the cockpit door and attempted to climb into the airplane. The pilot fell off the wing and sustained serious injuries. The unoccupied airplane continued across a taxiway, briefly became airborne over the runway, then settled onto the grass and impacted the airport perimeter fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Due to the pilot’s injuries, he was unable to provide a statement for the investigation. Multiple attempts to verify the magneto switch position were unsuccessful. The position of the magneto switch at the time of the accident could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N559TX
- Reported as
- Nanchang China CJ-6A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2532079
- Built
- 1968
- Engine
- Motorstar M-14PF, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- BMQ · Burnet, TX
- Airport
- BMQ · Burnet Muni/Kate Craddock Fld
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 62
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 4, 2025
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KBMQ
- METAR
- METAR KBMQ 312153Z AUTO 27004KT 10SM CLR 20/M01 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP214 T02001011
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.8 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.