Amateur-built CAYUSE accident near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, June 12, 1994
On June 12, 1994 at about 4:27 pm local time, a amateur-built CAYUSE, registered N12057, was destroyed in an accident near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi (Stennis International 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
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S ATTEMPT TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF WHEN THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING FULL POWER AND HIS ATTEMPT TO REVERSE COURSE TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT WITHOUT SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO COMPLETE THE TURN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 1994 · about 4:27 pm local time
- Place
- Bay St. Louis, Mississippi · Stennis International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CAYUSE
- Registration
- N12057 · no longer on the register · serial 100
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF AND REPORTED THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND NOT PRODUCING FULL POWER. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF AND WAS OBSERVED AT TREE TOP LEVEL BEFORE THE WITNESSES LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER THE WITNESSES OBSERVED SMOKE AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THEY WENT TO THE SCENE AND OBSERVED THE BURNING WRECKAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT HAD ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND DRAGGED A WING TIP ON THE GROUND WHILE IN A TURN. TESTING OF THE ENGINE INDICATED THE NOS. 3 AND 4 EXHAUST VALVES WERE STICKING AND THE ENGINE WOULD ONLY OPERATE AT ABOUT 1700 RPM WHEN AT NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THE ENGINE WAS BEING OPERATED ON UNLEADED AUTOMOTIVE FUEL. THE ENGINE WAS CERTIFICATED TO USE LEADED FUEL.
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: student
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 242 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 21, 1994; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 3R6 at 4:26 pm
- Destination: 3R6 MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 8,499 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:47 pm from GPT, 20 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.