Amateur-built Long EZ accident near Lockhart, Texas, March 13, 2002
On March 13, 2002, a amateur-built Long EZ, registered N126DT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lockhart, Texas (Lockhart Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2002
- Place
- Lockhart, Texas · Lockhart Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Long EZ
- Registration
- N126DT · no longer on the register · serial 1264L
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had not been flown in three weeks, and the pilot planned to fly the airplane around the traffic pattern. The pilot performed a preflight inspection, taxied the airplane to the runway, and then performed a "normal" engine run-up prior to takeoff. Shortly after takeoff, approximately 200 feet agl, the engine began to lose power. The pilot "switched tanks, checked the mixture, and jockeyed the throttle a couple of times," with no response from the engine. Unable to make the runway, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane struck a fence separating the right wing and right main landing gear. The pilot stated that the airplane contained approximately 20 gallons of fuel prior to takeoff. The FAA inspector and the pilot performed a field inspection on the engine. No anomalies with the engine or airframe were noted during the examination. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 769 hours in all; 461 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 12, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 461.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 2001; 4.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,325 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 50R Lockhart TX at 11:57 pm
- Destination: Lockhart TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.