Amateur-built ACRODUSTER II accident near Alexandria, Louisiana, April 18, 1990
On April 18, 1990 at about 1:31 pm local time, a amateur-built ACRODUSTER II, registered N63BD, was destroyed in an accident near Alexandria, Louisiana (Esler Reg. 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 MISJUDGED THE LANDING FLARE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1990 · about 1:31 pm local time
- Place
- Alexandria, Louisiana · Esler Reg. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ACRODUSTER II ACRODUSTER
- Registration
- N63BD · registry record · serial JDW-86
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS DISSIPATING AIRSPEED OVER THE RUNWAY, IN THE OPEN COCKPIT BIPLANE. HE SAID HIS HELMET SLIPPED BACK ON HIS HEAD AND DURING HIS ATTEMPT TO READJUST IT, THE LEFT WING CAME UP AND DURING HIS CORRECTION, THE PROPELLER STARTED HITTING THE RUNWAY. HE SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, FLEW FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY AND LANDED. HE SAID HIS NEXT TOUCHDOWN WAS SMOOTH BUT THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE STARTED SLIDDING ON THE RUNWAY. A FIRE STARTED AND AS THE PILOT EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE, HE WAS BURNED ON THE FACE AND HANDS. AFTER HE MOVED AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE, MORE FIRE ERUPTED IN THE AIRPLANE. LATER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SPREAD OUT AND THE FUSELAGE BOTTOM HIT THE RUNWAY ON THE FIRST IMPACT. FIRE STARTED WITH FUEL FROM A BROKEN FUEL STRAINER VALVE.
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: 7,000 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 6,650 as pilot in command; 4,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 72 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 20, 1990; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ESF at 1:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 5,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:34 pm from ESF
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.
Other NTSB records under N63BD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.