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Accidents · NTSB CEN17LA285 · Final report

Amateur-built HAWKER FB60 accident near Breckenridge, Texas, July 25, 2017

On July 25, 2017 at about 2:10 pm local time, a 1956 amateur-built HAWKER FB60, registered N254SF, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Breckenridge, Texas (Stephens County airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident engine examination and testing did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
July 25, 2017 · about 2:10 pm local time · cases in 2017
Place
Breckenridge, Texas · Stephens County · cases near this airport · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
2 people were seriously injured.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Amateur-built HAWKER FB60 NO SERIES, built 1956
Registration
N254SF · registry record · serial 37514
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

A witness, who was a repair facility employee, stated that, on the morning of the accident, the airplane was fueled and then flown for about 15 to 20 minutes without incident. The accident flight was the second flight of the day and was also about 15 to 20 minutes long. The witness's cell phone video revealed that the airplane was on short final for the runway as it descended and turned left; it then disappeared into a wooded area. The airplane collided with a tree and then impacted the ground and came to rest upright. First responders to the accident site stated that the fuel lines had been severed, and fuel was covering the ground under the airplane. The propeller blades did not exhibit signs of power during impact. Postaccident testing of the engine's distributors and fuel pump did not reveal any anomalies. However, postaccident testing of the injection carburetor revealed that the right float switch pin was dislodged from its cylinder, but it could not be determined when the pin became dislodged. The pin was reinstalled into its cylinder, and subsequent testing of the injection carburetor revealed that it was out of tolerance; however, the specialists at the repair station stated that, although several of the carburetor readings were out of tolerance, none of the indications would have caused a loss of engine power. Postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The fuel selector was found positioned to the auxiliary fuel tank line, not the main fuel tank line. The valve was impact-separated from the airplane, and its preaccident position could not be confirmed. Based on the available evidence, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

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

What happened, in order

  1. Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
  2. Off-field or emergency landing during approach (VFR pattern final)
  3. Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)

The NTSB's findings

  • cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
  • Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation

Pilot

  • Certificate: private
  • Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
  • Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
  • Seat: frt
  • Injury: serious injuries

Passenger

  • Seat: rear
  • Injury: serious injuries

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 1,294.3 hours
  • Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 2017; 1.8 hours since
  • Seats: 2
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine: Curtiss Wright R3350-36WD (piston); 0 hours total

The flight

  • Departed from: BKD Breckenridge TX at 1:50 pm
  • Destination: BKD Breckenridge TX
  • Flight plan: none
  • Runway 17, 4,997 ft by 100 ft

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
  • Visibility: 10 statute miles
  • Sky: clear
  • Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
  • Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
  • Observation at 1:55 pm from KBKD, 1 miles away

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew1
Passengers1

Photographs from the investigation 7 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them

The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

9 documents, released by the NTSB on November 8, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.

The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.

Connections how this case links to the rest of the register

Aircraft
  • N254SF on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
  • Engine: Curtiss Wright R3350-36WD · as the NTSB recorded it
Place

The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN17LA285.json.

The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.

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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.