Amateur-built RUTAN LONGEZE accident near Georgetown, Texas, May 22, 1986
On May 22, 1986 at about 11:59 pm local time, a amateur-built RUTAN LONGEZE, registered N196MS, was destroyed in an accident near Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1986 · about 11:59 pm local time
- Place
- Georgetown, Texas · Georgetown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RUTAN LONGEZE RUTAN LONG
- Registration
- N196MS · registry record · serial 1196
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED AFTER HITTING TREES ON SHORT FINAL FOLLOWING AN INFLIGHT FIRE AND AN ENG FAILURE. THE ACFT WAS ON IT'S FIRST FLT FOLLOWING AN ENG OVERHAUL AND HAD BEEN AIRBORNE ABOUT 2 MINUTES WHEN GROUND AND AIR OBSERVERS NOTICED SMOKE TRAILING FROM THE ENG COMPARTMENT. THE OBSERVERS INFORMED THE PLT AND HE WAS ATTEMPTING A TURN TO RETURN TO THE ARPT WHEN THE ENG QUIT. HE SUBSEQUENTLY ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. ON SHORT FINAL, THE ACFT STRUCK TREES, IMPACTED IN A STREET AND SKIDDED INTO 2 VEHICLES PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY. THE PLT DIED AS A RESULT OF THE ENSUING FIRE.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,833 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1986; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TO4 Georgetown TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW86FRG19.