Amateur-built MIDGET MUSTANG M-1 accident near Mesquite, Texas, May 10, 1996
On May 10, 1996 at about 6:07 pm local time, a amateur-built MIDGET MUSTANG M-1, registered N9516, was destroyed in an accident near Mesquite, Texas (Phil L. Hudson Municipal airport). 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
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control following the separation of the propeller spinner installed by the pilot. A factor was the pilot's failure to obtain the required FAA inspection for the installation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 1996 · about 6:07 pm local time
- Place
- Mesquite, Texas · Phil L. Hudson Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MIDGET MUSTANG M-1 MIDGET MUS
- Registration
- N9516 · no longer on the register · serial 432
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had installed a composite propeller with a composite spinner that extended forward about 14 inches and did not have a forward support plate. During the first flight, an object departed the propeller area. The pilot reported the airplane rolled left with a loss of control during the forced landing. A pilot/witness reported observing the airplane stall. The spinner backing plate remained attached with the 12 screws in place; however, the rest of the spinner was not recovered. Flap continuity was confirmed. The propeller installation bolts did not extend through the self-locking nuts. The owner/pilot did not contact the FAA for an inspection of the propeller installation. FAA inspectors stated that the installation was a major change and required FAA notification. The experimental category airplane and the propeller were neither manufactured nor required to be in accordance with a FAA Type Certificate (and therefore, they are not governed by any FAR's for design and production).
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: 862 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 765 as pilot in command; 393 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 443 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 1995; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,128 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-125-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HQZ at 6:07 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.