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5 fatalities

B-26 Stall/Spin Accident During Pre-Evaluation Flight (N5546N)

Odessa, United States of AmericaFlight

On September 28, 1995, a Martin B-26 Marauder (registration N5546N) operated by American Airpower Heritage Museum was involved in an aviation accident near Odessa, United States of America in flight. 5 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the pilot to maintain minimum airspeed for flight resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin. Factors were the loss of power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's lack of recent flight experience in the aircraft. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-11Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered N5546N
Aircraft registered N5546N. Photo: RuthAS / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A B-26 crashed after the pilot lost power and failed to maintain minimum airspeed, resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin. The pilot had limited recent experience in the aircraft.

Accident Description and Witness Accounts Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft at approximately 250 feet above the ground, heading southwest. As it passed overhead, the engines were sputtering. About three-quarters of a mile from the witnesses, the aircraft made a sharp right turn, nosed down, and impacted the ground. The engines had quit before the turn. The operator stated the flight was in preparation for a flight evaluation by an FAA inspector. The pilot reported to Departure Control that he would be working on stalls and steep turns and was instructed to maintain VFR at or above 5,500 feet. The pilot-in-command had approximately 500 hours in the B-26. Prior to the accident flight, he had flown the B-26 once since October 8, 1993, on September 26, 1995, for 30 minutes. Before the flight, the fuel tanks were sticked and contained approximately 720 gallons of 100 octane low lead avgas. Examination of the airplane and engines did not disclose any pre-mishap discrepancies. Due to the extent of damage, flight control continuity could not be established.

Probable cause

The failure of the pilot to maintain minimum airspeed for flight resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin. Factors were the loss of power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's lack of recent flight experience in the aircraft.
Loss of control in flightAerodynamic stall

Related events

Same operator

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