Amateur-built FIIC-2 Goshawk accident near Marion, Texas, July 23, 2001
On July 23, 2001 at about 4:15 pm local time, a amateur-built FIIC-2 Goshawk, registered N393Y, was destroyed in an accident near Marion, Texas (Zuehl Airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the loss of control on takeoff for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2001 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Marion, Texas · Zuehl Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built FIIC-2 Goshawk
- Registration
- N393Y · no longer on the register · serial 1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The two pilots were conducting a high speed taxi test run when the bi-wing, experimental, amateur-built airplane inadvertently took off. Witnesses observed the tandem-seat airplane make a "sharp turn to the left", "stall," impact terrain and catch fire. During the brief flight, witnesses heard a surging noise. The airplane had never been flown before and had been issued an experimental airworthiness certificate two months prior to the accident. According to people at the airport, the front seat pilot had been working on the airplane for over a year and had never flown it. They added that the propeller governor had been removed and reinstalled a few days prior to the accident. The rear seat pilot stated that it was his understanding that the airplane was not supposed to takeoff. Toxicology tests on the front seat pilot revealed 0.05 ug/ml of diphenhydramine in the pilot's blood, an unquantified amount of diphenhydramine in the liver, and 1.076 ug/ml of acetaminophen in the pilot's blood. Acetaminophen is an over-the-counter pain reliever commonly known by the trade name Tylenol. Diphenhydramine is an over-the-counter antihistamine. A study on the effects of diphenhydramine on driving performance revealed that the drug significantly impaired a person's ability to maneuver an automobile. Examination of the propeller governor revealed that the booster pump drive shaft was coated with what appeared to be a cooked oil coating, and the pilot valve was sticking inside the booster pump drive shaft. It could not be determined if the cooked oil coating was a result of the post crash fire or a pre-existing condition.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (expired)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 17, 2001
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R680-13 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 1TE4 Marion TX at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.