Amateur-built SKYBOLT accident near Muscle Shoals, Alabama, July 28, 1994
On July 28, 1994 at about 2:17 pm local time, a amateur-built SKYBOLT, registered N919JM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Muscle Shoals, Alabama (Muscle Shoals airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue failure of the main landing gear strut that resulted in a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1994 · about 2:17 pm local time
- Place
- Muscle Shoals, Alabama · Muscle Shoals
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SKYBOLT
- Registration
- N919JM · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER TOUCHDOWN ON THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR REVEALED THAT THE GEAR STRUT WAS FRACTURED, AND THE LEFT LANDING GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURE SURFACE REVEALED A RADIAL AREA ABOUT 3/8 TO 1/2 INCH IN SIZE, THAT WAS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE HOMOGENOUS, FINE, GRAY GRANULAR APPEARANCE OF THE REMAINDER OF THE FRACTURE. THE OUTER 1/32 INCH OF THE DIFFERENT APPEARING AREA WAS DISCOLORED BLACK, WHICH REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF A PREVIOUSLY UNDETECTED FRACTURE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 605 hours in all; 138 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 452 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 138 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 31, 1993; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MOB Mobile AL at 12:00 pm
- Destination: OSH Oskosh WI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 29, 6,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from MSL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL94LA149.