N987JB – Bigham Jack L MARQUART M 5 CHARGER – 2026-05-15 NTSB Accident Report

On May 15, 2026, about 1500 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur built Marquart M5 Charger was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Tucson, Arizona. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal fight.

The pilot reported that prior to departing, he checked the fuel quantity indicator and observed about 14 gallons of fuel. He estimated that it would provide one hour of useable fuel. The pilot departed and noticed a “heavy smell of rubber” and no smoke. The rubber smell then went away. The pilot reported that while he was about 1,000 ft above ground level the engine lost all power. The propeller continued to spin and he switched the electric fuel pump on. The pilot elected to land on a road where he performed a wheel landing; however, a vehicle was in front of the airplane so the pilot elected to turn away from the road and the vehicle, which resulted in the airplane impacting a pole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. After exiting the airplane, the pilot reported that he saw a stream of fuel coming from behind the engine that lasted for about 15 seconds.

The airplane was recovered to the pilot’s private hangar for further examination.