Amateur-built BARRACUDA I accident near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, February 6, 1993
On February 6, 1993 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built BARRACUDA I, registered N852DH, was destroyed in an accident near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi (Stennis International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
UNDETERMINED DUE TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE GEAR COLLAPSED ON LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 1993 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bay St. Louis, Mississippi · Stennis International
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BARRACUDA I BARRACUDA
- Registration
- N852DH · no longer on the register · serial DBH 2
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE WAS ON A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING WHEN THE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY A FIRE THAT STARTED WHEN THE FUEL QUICK DRAIN WAS SHEARED OFF. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE AIRPLANE BY FIRE PRECLUDED THE DETERMINATION OF THE CAUSE OF THE GEAR COLLAPSE.
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: 750 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 650 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 270 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 27, 1992; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MSY New Orleans LA at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 8,499 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,300 ft; scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:47 pm from GPT, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.