Cassutt IIIM accident near Odessa, Texas, July 5, 2026
On July 5, 2026 at about 3:08 pm local time, a 1978 Cassutt IIIM, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N45889, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Odessa, Texas (Odessa-Schlemeyer Fld 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 exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the initial climb, which led to an aerodynamic stall and a loss of airplane control at too low of an altitude to recover. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent experience in the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2026 · about 3:08 pm local time
- Place
- Odessa, Texas · Odessa-Schlemeyer Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cassutt IIIM RACER, built 1978, amateur-built · all IIIMs on the register
- Registration
- N45889 · registry record · serial 227
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to familiarize himself with the experimental air racing airplane after the airplane had been in storage, and the pilot had not flown the airplane in over two years. The airplane was assembled by the air racing team, all the flight controls were checked, and the engine was run up. The pilot insisted on flying the airplane, even though the airplane maintenance records were not completed. The pilot had intended on staying in the airport traffic pattern. During the initial climb, witnesses reported the airplane’s critical angle of attack was exceeded, and the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude. The airplane impacted a flat field with vegetation, on airport property. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and to both wings. The pilot, who was wearing an airplane flight helmet, was unable to recall all the accident sequence details due to sustained serious injuries. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Evacuation during post (impact)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Recent experience › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 288 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 6, 2024; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ODO Odessa TX at 3:07 pm
- Destination: ODO Odessa TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02/2, 5,703 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 am from KODO
Weather report (METAR): METAR KODO 051453Z AUTO 20007KT 190V250 10SM CLR 28/18 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP149 T02830178 52017 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 9 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – View of the airplane during the assembly work inside of the hangar
Photograph 2 – View of the airplane during the engine run up in front of the hangar
Photograph 3 – View of the fuselage and the engine at the accident site
Photograph 4 – View of the empennage at the accident site
Photograph 5 – View of the cockpit at the accident site
Photograph 6 – View of the right wing at the accident site
Photograph 7 – View of the left wing at the accident site
Photograph 8 – View of the propeller at the accident site
Photograph 9 – View of the pilot’s airplane flight helmet at the accident siteThe 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
10 documents, released by the NTSB on August 20, 2026. 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 | Memorandums for Record A�� Various | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 10 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Video (.MP4 File) | video | View Download |
| 4 | Federal Aviation Administration - Various Documents | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Federal Aviation Administration - N45889 Experimental Operating Limitations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Federal Aviation Administration - Pilot Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Federal Aviation Administration - Advisory Circular 90-109A Excerpts | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 8 | N45889 - Recent Airframe and Engine Maintenance Records | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 9 | N45889 - Most Recent Weight and Balance Sheet | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | National Aeronautics Co. - Cassutt Iiim Racer Specifications | PDF, 1 page | 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.