Amateur-built MIDGET MUSTANG MM-1 accident near Tracy, California, June 30, 1998
On June 30, 1998 at about 3:00 am local time, a amateur-built MIDGET MUSTANG MM-1, registered N76JF, was destroyed in an accident near Tracy, California (Tracy Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadequate maintenance/inspection by the owner/pilot that resulted in an obstructed fuel vent system and a subsequent loss of engine power during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 1998 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Tracy, California · Tracy Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MIDGET MUSTANG MM-1 MIDGET MUS
- Registration
- N76JF · registry record · serial 786
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental airplane was on climbout following a touch-and-go landing. During the climb, the engine began sputtering and lost power. The airplane leveled off momentarily and then began a steep left turn back toward the runway. During the turn, the airplane descended and collided with a power line. The engine had lost power in flight on several prior occasions. The airplane was not equipped with a fuel boost pump or an engine-driven fuel pump. The fuel tank was mounted in the fuselage, immediately forward of the instrument panel with no accumulator tank. The headspace between the fuel tank and the carburetor was reduced whenever the airplane's pitch attitude increased. A minimum of 0.5 pounds of fuel pressure at the carburetor inlet is required for operation of the engine. The minimum flow volume required for engine operation is not specified. The tank had a single, under wing vent line. Dirt and a piece of plastic were found lodged in the 90-degree elbow of the fuel tank vent line at the point where the line enters the tank. The dirt had formed a ball and was located on the tank side of the piece of plastic. The fuel tank was also equipped with a vented fuel cap that was found in place; however, the vent hole in the cap had been covered with gray silicon sealant.
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: 660 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 253 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 1997; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A3B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TCY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 3,438 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 270° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from SCK, 16 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.
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.