Amateur-built SE5-A accident near Rio Hondo, Texas, December 13, 2003
On December 13, 2003 at about 3:59 pm local time, a amateur-built SE5-A, registered N42LB, was destroyed in an accident near Rio Hondo, Texas (Texas Air Museum Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the tailwheel equipped airplane during takeoff. Contributing factors were the pilot's selection of the wrong runway for takeoff and the prevailing tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2003 · about 3:59 pm local time
- Place
- Rio Hondo, Texas · Texas Air Museum Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SE5-A
- Registration
- N42LB · registry record · serial 080284
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 14,000-hour pilot, who was participating in a reenactment flight, departed runway 18 with a five to eight knot tailwind. During the takeoff roll, he raised the tail and the airplane pitched up and to the right. As the pilot landed the airplane back on the runway, "it pitched up again." The pilot stated that he lowered the nose to maintain airspeed and assess the situation. At an approximate altitude of 50 feet agl, "the nose dropped." The pilot moved the control stick forward and then backwards with no response. Subsequently, the aircraft impacted a soft plowed field and came to rest in the upright position adjacent to the runway. Approximately five miles west of the accident site, an automated surface observing system reported wind from 360 degrees at 14 knots at the time of the accident.
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; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 19, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 195 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2003; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Texas Air Museum
The flight
- Departed from: XS63 Rio Hondo TX at 6:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,800 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,800 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 5:59 pm from HRL, 5 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.
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.