- Date
- April 16, 1994, 17:15 local (Apr 17, 1994, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Byron, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N363RDBushby Mustang II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940416047519A
- Case key
- 28719
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
an abrupt maneuver by the pilot that initiated an in-flight separation of the tail and wing sections during acrobatic flight.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Witnesses observed the aircraft flying about 1000 feet above the ground when they heard the engine accelerate followed by an abrupt vertical climb. The wings then separated and the aircraft descended into the ground. All the major aircraft components were accounted for except the vertical stabilizer. Photographs of the tail section indicated overload-type separations.
Factual narrative
On April 16, 1994, about 1715 hours Pacific daylight time, the pilot of a Bushby Mustang II, N363RD, lost control after an in-flight breakup and collided with the terrain in a marsh 2 miles east of Byron, California. The airplane was destroyed. The certificated private pilot and student pilot passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated in Livermore, California, at 1630 hours. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Witnesses reported the airplane in level flight about 1,000 feet above ground level. The witnesses reported hearing the engine accelerate followed by an abrupt steep vertical climb. The airplane's wings then separated and the airplane descended uncontrolled and collided with the terrain.
Inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported the airplane's wings, canopy, both seats, and the horizontal stabilizer came to rest about 500 yards east of the fuselage. The inspectors reported they were unable to locate the vertical stabilizer during the on-scene wreckage examination. The FAA provided photographs (attached) depicting the damage to tail section.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N363RD
- Reported as
- Bushby Mustang II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 363
- Airframe hours
- 1,600
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dawson, Richard
- Registered owner
- Richard E. Dawson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 5, 1993 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- LVK · Livermore, CA
- Destination
- LVK · CA
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 980 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SCK, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N363RD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.