Aviat A-1B accident near Edna, Texas, May 27, 2006
On May 27, 2006 at about 1:05 am local time, a Aviat A-1B, registered N166MA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Edna, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's ostentatious display while maneuvering at low altitude which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin and subsequent impact with the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2006 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Edna, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A-1B
- Registration
- N166MA · registry record · serial 2235
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft crashed into a lake after entering a spin. The 48-hour private pilot and pilot rated passenger were observed "buzzing" a campground and performing wingover-type maneuvers while at a low altitude. The airplane was also observed to dip its main tires into the lake during several passes and at times appeared "to be almost hovering" into the wind. Several witnesses observed the single-engine tail wheel equipped airplane continued to maneuver in the vicinity of the campground for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. On the airplane's last pass near the campground, the airplane was observed to climb steeply to an altitude of approximately 500 to 700 feet above ground level (agl) before it entered a right spin and began a rapid descent in a nose low attitude. The airplane spun approximately three turns before impacting the surface of a lake. The wreckage came to rest about 20-feet below the lake's surface and approximately 500-feet east of the shore of the campground. The wreckage of the airplane was floated to the lake's surface and then pulled on shore by rescue personnel. The investigation revealed that the airplane had accumulated a total of 405 hours since new. Flight control continuity was established and no pre-impact anomalies were noted with the airframe or the engine that could have prevented normal operation. The pilot and passenger tested positive for ethanol; however, according to the FAA's Forensic Toxicology Research Team Lead, it was not possible to discern what amount of ethanol came from consumption and what came from postmortem ethanol production.
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: 48 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 405 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005; 130 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: La Ward TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.