Amateur-built MUSTANG II accident near Churchtown, Ohio, June 14, 1994
On June 14, 1994 at about 7:28 pm local time, a amateur-built MUSTANG II, registered N49YP, was destroyed in an accident near Churchtown, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S PERFORMANCE OF A MANEUVER THAT EXCEEDED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1994 · about 7:28 pm local time
- Place
- Churchtown, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MUSTANG II
- Registration
- N49YP · no longer on the register · serial M-II-769
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED ENTERING AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER SIMILAR TO A TAIL SLIDE. DURING THE MANEUVERING, AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRPLANE OCCURRED. PIECES OF THE AIRPLANE WERE FOUND OVER AN 1800' AREA. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE CANOPY HAD SHATTERED; THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, RIGHT ELEVATOR, LEFT AILERON, CANOPY FRAME & PASSENGER'S BODY HAD SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF DOWNWARD DEFORMATION ON THE SEPARATED STABILIZER & ELEVATOR. ALSO, EVIDENCE OF A PREEXISTING CRACK WAS FOUND IN THE CANOPY LATCH MECHANISM, BUT THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DETERMINE WHETHER THE LATCH HAD FAILED BEFORE OR AFTER THE IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP HAD BEGUN. THE AIRPLANE KIT MANUFACTURER DISCOURAGED TAIL SLIDES.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 25 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 3,420 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,752 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 22, 1993; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PKB Parkersburg WV at 5:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from PKB, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.