Amateur-built BUSBY MUSTANG accident near Plant City, Florida, November 29, 2009
On November 29, 2009 at about 4:45 pm local time, a amateur-built BUSBY MUSTANG, registered N72PC, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Plant City, Florida. 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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed following a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2009 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Plant City, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BUSBY MUSTANG
- Registration
- N72PC · no longer on the register · serial M-231
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff, the flight proceeded to another airport where the pilot landed uneventfully and fueled at a self-service 100 low-lead (100LL) fuel pump. The airplane departed and proceeded towards the accident area where two witnesses on the ground reported hearing the engine sputter. One witness reported that the airplane flew low over his house with a rough-running engine. He additionally reported that the engine then lost power and the propeller stopped. The airplane pitched nose down indicative of a stall, then descended through tree before impacting the ground. A postaccident inspection of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction. Remnants of sealing compound from the wingtip tanks were found in the carburetor bowl but the discharge nozzle of the carburetor was not obstructed. Additionally, the fuel selector from the wingtip fuel tanks was noted to be faulty, allowing fuel to flow to the engine regardless of the position of the valve. No determination could be made as to the reason for the witness-reported loss of engine 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Loss of control in flight during emergency descent defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 385 hours in all; 227 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 306 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 3, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,722 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 14, 2009; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHN Wauchula FL at 4:24 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from LAL, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.