Amateur-built MUSTANG II accident near Kirkland, Illinois, June 25, 1989
On June 25, 1989 at about 5:05 pm local time, a amateur-built MUSTANG II, registered N11WR, was destroyed in an accident near Kirkland, Illinois (Bunger Airfield). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL STARVATION (POSSIBLY FROM VAPOR LOCK), WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF GROUND CLEARANCE DURING A FINAL TURN TO LAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 1989 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Kirkland, Illinois · Bunger Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MUSTANG II
- Registration
- N11WR · registry record · serial 448
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 25 MIN AFTER LNDG FROM A PREVIOUS FLT, THE PLT TOOK OFF TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS & LNDGS ON RWY 18. HE CLIMBED ABOUT 1200' & TURNED ONTO A CROSSWIND LEG. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE ENG BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PLT TRIED TO LAND ON RWY 27, BUT HE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALT & SPEED. AS HE WAS COMPLETING A TURN TOWARD THE RWY, A WING TIP CONTACTED THE GRND & THE ACFT CRASH LANDED. THE ACFT SLID TO A STOP ON THE RWY. THE PLT SAID HE THEN TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR OFF, BUT ABOUT 4 TO 5 MIN LATER, A FIRE ERUPTED, WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO EXTINGUISH WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND. THE ACFT HAD BEEN SVCD WITH AUTO FUEL, WHICH CONTAINED A LOWER VAPOR PRESSURE THAN AVIATION FUEL & WAS MORE VULNERABLE TO VAPOR LOCK.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 280 hours in all; 71 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 375 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 23, 1988; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from ARR, 30 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI89DEE04.