Fairchild M-62C accident near Arlington, Texas, March 6, 1988
On March 6, 1988 at about 2:55 pm local time, a Fairchild M-62C, registered N63739, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arlington, 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
FAILURE OF THE NUMBER SIX CYLINDER AND PISTON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 1988 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- Arlington, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild M-62C · all M-62Cs on the register
- Registration
- N63739 · registry record · serial 43-1223AE
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 1,800 FEET MSL THE PILOT EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE VIBRATION AND THEN OBSERVED A PIECE OF METAL DEPART THE AIRPLANE. THE ENGINE QUIT PRODUCING POWER AND A FORCED LANDING WAS PERFORMED IN A HIGHLY POPULATED RESIDENTIAL AREA IN A SOFTBALL FIELD, SURROUNDED BY A WIRE FENCE. TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR IN GRASS, FOLLOWED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BY A NOSE OVER TO THE INVERTED POSITION. THE NUMBER SIX CYLINDER, AND PIECES OF ITS PISTON, WERE FOUND AT THE SCENE SEPARTATED FROM THE RADIAL ENGINE ASSEMBLY.
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: 1,297 hours in all; 302 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 1,184 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 27, 1987; 153 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-670-6A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ada Aircraft Museum INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 04TX Saginaw TX at 2:35 pm
- Destination: F67 Grand Prairie TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 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.
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.