Amateur-built 2/3 SCALE accident near Alamogordo, New Mexico, November 10, 1990
On November 10, 1990 at about 6:36 pm local time, a amateur-built 2/3 SCALE, registered N51DY, was destroyed in an accident near Alamogordo, New Mexico (White Sands airport). 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
PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON, IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 1990 · about 6:36 pm local time
- Place
- Alamogordo, New Mexico · White Sands · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 2/3 SCALE
- Registration
- N51DY · registry record · serial 448051
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE FIRST FLIGHT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT TOOK OFF WITH WHAT NUMEROUS WITNESSES DESCRIBED AS A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. THE FLIGHT PATH AFTER TAKEOFF WAS A PATTERN FOR A RETURN TO LANDING FLOWN AT LESS THAN NORMAL PATTERN ALTITUDE. DURING THE TURN TO FINAL, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO STALL AND ROLL AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL FOLLOWED BY A STEEP IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY IMPACT AND GROUND FIRE. NO REASON WAS FOUND FOR THE APPARENT LOST OF POWER.
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: 4,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Geshwender FORD V8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ALM at 6:34 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 7,005 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:55 pm from HMN, 6 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.
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.