Amateur-built P-51-51 accident near Beaumont, Texas, August 23, 1994
On August 23, 1994 at about 2:45 pm local time, a amateur-built P-51-51, registered N2073S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beaumont, Texas (Beaumont Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER ADJUSTMENT OF THE PROPELLER SYSTEM PITCH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1994 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Beaumont, Texas · Beaumont Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built P-51-51
- Registration
- N2073S · no longer on the register · serial 1576379
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INITIAL CLIMB RATE WAS UNACCEPTABLE. DURING A LEFT TURN THE HEIGHT ABOVE THE GROUND WAS 10 FEET AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE BROKE IN HALF WHEN THE GEAR HIT THE GROUND. TERRAIN WAS ROUGH AND UNEVEN WITH HIGH VEGETATION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE PITCH OF THE PROPELLER WAS NOT SET CORRECTLY AND THAT HE HAD REMOVED THE ORIGINAL PROPELLER AND INSTALLED A LARGER ONE (APPROVED).
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: 4,600 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from BPT, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N2073S 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.