Amateur-built BUSHBY MUSTANG II accident near Yorkville, Illinois, February 18, 1988
On February 18, 1988 at about 9:06 pm local time, a amateur-built BUSHBY MUSTANG II, registered N84HM, was destroyed in an accident near Yorkville, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PERFORMANCE OF AEROBATIC MANEUVERS WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE FOR RECOVERY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 1988 · about 9:06 pm local time
- Place
- Yorkville, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BUSHBY MUSTANG II BUSHBY MUS
- Registration
- N84HM · registry record · serial MII-1145
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE COMING OUT OF A LOOP WHEN IT CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD. DURING IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
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; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,972 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,830 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 163 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 2, 1987; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1C5 Plainfield IL at 7:45 pm
- Destination: C48 Sandwich IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from ARR, 8 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N84HM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.