Amateur-built Space Walker II accident near Devine, Texas, February 27, 2019
On February 27, 2019 at about 10:38 pm local time, a 2018 amateur-built Space Walker II, registered N1778, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Devine, Texas (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 2019 · about 10:38 pm local time
- Place
- Devine, Texas · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Space Walker II, built 2018
- Registration
- N1778 · no longer on the register · serial TB006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a personal fight over his private airstrip when the airplane collided with trees while in a descent to make a low pass over the runway. The forward fuselage and left wing sustained substantial damage during the accident. The pilot does not recall the final portion of the flight besides a brief memory of the airplane descending toward trees in a 90° nose-down pitch attitude. The pilot does not recall if the airplane had any mechanical malfunctions during the flight. A witness reported hearing a reduction in engine power shortly before the accident; however, based on the pilot’s statement, it is likely that he had reduced engine power to descend toward the runway for a low pass. Additionally, an examination of the airplane and its engine did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Based upon the pilot’s recollection that the airplane was in a vertical nose-down descent, it is likely the airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack while maneuvering near the runway, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with trees and terrain.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 22,182 hours in all; 15.6 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 4.2 in the last 30 days; 22,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 24, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 18, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,325 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CVB Castroville TX at 10:30 pm
- Destination: CVB Castroville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 1,200 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 pm from CVB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on October 22, 2021. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Conversation (Durwood Blasingame) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Wreckage Examination Summary | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.