Amateur-built HAWK BM-4 and Cessna 172N mid-air collision near Pearland, Texas, January 2, 1994
On January 2, 1994 at about 10:30 pm local time, 2 aircraft, amateur-built HAWK BM-4 (N75DL) and Cessna 172N (N739TL), were involved in a mid-air collision near Pearland, Texas (Clover Field). 5 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PILOT OF THE HAWK BM-4, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE CESSNA 172. THE BM-4 PILOT'S NON-STANDARD PROCEDURE FOR ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PILOT OF THE HAWK BM-4, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE CESSNA 172. THE BM-4 PILOT'S NON-STANDARD PROCEDURE FOR ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 1994 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Pearland, Texas · Clover Field · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Amateur-built HAWK BM-4
- Registration
- N75DL · registry record · serial 767
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N739TL · no longer on the register · serial 17270792
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the amateur-built HAWK BM-4 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS AN INSTRUCTOR (CFI) & STUDENT IN A CESSNA 172 WERE MAKING TOUCH-&-GO'S ON RUNWAY 14R, A BM-4 PILOT TRANSMITTED ON UNICOM THAT HE WAS APPROACHING FROM THE WEST FOR A BASE ENTRY. REPORTEDLY, THE CESSNA PILOTS WERE TRANSMITTING THEIR POSITIONS ON UNICOM, ALSO. THE BM-4 SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED BASE TO FINAL BEHIND THE CESSNA & WAS SEEN CONVERGING ON THE CESSNA IN DISTANCE & ALTITUDE. IMPACT OCCURRED ON SHORT FINAL. WITNESSES SAID THE AIRPLANES REMAINED TOGETHER, ROTATED TO THE LEFT & DESCENDED VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND. THE BM-4 COLOR WAS WHITE WITH YELLOW TRIM & THE CESSNA WAS COLORED WHITE WITH BROWN TRIM. YELLOW PAINT TRANSFER WAS OBSERVED ON THE UPPER LEFT WING SURFACE, AFT CABIN SUPPORT POST & AFT WINDSHIELD OF THE CESSNA. LEADING EDGE DAMAGE OF THE RIGHT WING OF THE BM-4 WAS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF THE AFT CABIN WINDOW OF THE CESSNA. AN IMPACT SIGNATURE MEASUREMENT AT THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT FLAP OF THE CESSNA WAS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE BM-4 RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUT WIDTH.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172N final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS AN INSTRUCTOR (CFI) & STUDENT IN A CESSNA 172 WERE MAKING TOUCH-&-GO'S ON RUNWAY 14R, A BM-4 PILOT TRANSMITTED ON UNICOM THAT HE WAS APPROACHING FROM THE WEST FOR A BASE ENTRY. REPORTEDLY, THE CESSNA PILOTS WERE TRANSMITTING THEIR POSITIONS ON UNICOM, ALSO. THE BM-4 SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED BASE TO FINAL BEHIND THE CESSNA & WAS SEEN CONVERGING ON THE CESSNA IN DISTANCE & ALTITUDE. IMPACT OCCURRED ON SHORT FINAL. WITNESSES SAID THE AIRPLANES REMAINED TOGETHER, ROTATED TO THE LEFT & DESCENDED VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND. THE BM-4 COLOR WAS WHITE WITH YELLOW TRIM & THE CESSNA WAS COLORED WHITE WITH BROWN TRIM. YELLOW PAINT TRANSFER WAS OBSERVED ON THE UPPER LEFT WING SURFACE, AFT CABIN SUPPORT POST & AFT WINDSHIELD OF THE CESSNA. LEADING EDGE DAMAGE OF THE RIGHT WING OF THE BM-4 WAS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF THE AFT CABIN WINDOW OF THE CESSNA. AN IMPACT SIGNATURE MEASUREMENT AT THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT FLAP OF THE CESSNA WAS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE BM-4 RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUT WIDTH.
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 for the amateur-built HAWK BM-4 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,037 hours in all; 7 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 554 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 4, 1993; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T02 at 10:24 pm
- Destination: T02
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14R, 4,300 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from HOU, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
The factual record for the Cessna 172N from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,165 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 23, 1993; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ellington Aero Club, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: T02 at 10:24 pm
- Destination: T02
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14R, 4,300 ft by 70 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.