Amateur-built Murphy accident near Aguila, Arizona, June 12, 2011
On June 12, 2011 at about 1:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Murphy, registered N189SB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Aguila, Arizona (Wickenburg 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
A fire that originated from a fuel leak at an undetermined location in the engine compartment. Contributing to the accident was the builder's use of non-aviation hardware for engine fluid fittings and lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2011 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Aguila, Arizona · Wickenburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Murphy Moose
- Registration
- N189SB · registry record · serial 099
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The builder/owner/pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane, which was powered by a converted automobile engine, was conducting a personal flight to practice maneuvers and landings. While maneuvering about 1,400 feet above the ground, the pilot smelled fuel and noticed fuel pressure and engine rpm abnormalities. He decided to conduct a precautionary landing on a highway, but, while setting up for the landing, the engine experienced a complete power loss. The pilot landed the airplane uneventfully on the flat desert terrain. After he secured and exited the airplane, a fire developed in the engine compartment and consumed most of the airplane. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the builder/pilot had made extensive use of non-aviation hardware for many engine fluid fittings and lines. Fire damage precluded determination of the origin of the fuel leak and subsequent fire. Federal Aviation Administration records indicated that about 5 years before this event, a fuel leak and fire in the engine compartment of the same airplane occurred while taxiing.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel related during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Not specified
- factor Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › (general) › Not specified
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Fabrication › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 405 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,975 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 17, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 405 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, April 15, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Chevrolet LS6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ at 1:00 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 070° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from DVT, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.