Amateur-built ACRO accident near Beasley, Texas, March 25, 2000
On March 25, 2000 at about 8:30 pm local time, a amateur-built ACRO, registered N79RW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beasley, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for an undetermined reason.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2000 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Beasley, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ACRO
- Registration
- N79RW · no longer on the register · serial 99
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amateur-built airplane departed the airport on a local test flight. After a 20 minute flight, the pilot returned to the airport and 'closed the throttle to glide down to 1,000 feet pattern altitude to land. At pattern altitude, opened throttle-engine was dead.' He attempted to re-start the engine, but was not successful. The airplane touched down in a grain field short of the runway, crossed a road, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The airplane, which was powered by a 520-horsepower Chevrolet V-8 automotive engine, had accumulated a total of 6.1 hours. No further examination was conducted.
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: 1,770 hours in all; 19 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,770 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 5, 2000; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: R.A. Ward CHEVROLET V8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5TA9 at 8:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from SGR, 15 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 N79RW 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.