# Accident 19980701015709A: Amtr STARDUSTER2, Bay City, MI, July 1, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 1, 1998, 15:20 local time - Place: Bay City, MI - Airport: James Clements Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 43.6003° N, 83.9502° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.6003&lon=-83.9502&mi=10 - Aircraft: N159MK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N159MK) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Kerr Matthew STARDUSTER TOO (registry code 8660385, https://openairdocs.org/model/kerr-matthew-starduster-too) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-435 (registry code 41516, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-435) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR STARDUSTER2 - Reported engine: LYC O435 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,453 total, 649 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA231](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA231) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980701015709A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. RIGHT MAIN GEAR FOLDED LANDING. (.19) ON JULY 1, 1998, AT 1520 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A STARDUSTER TOO, N159MK, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT EXPERIENCED A RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSE WHILE LANDING AT THE BAY CITY CLEMENTS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, BAY CITY, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE BAY CITY CLEMENTS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT 1415 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT UPON LANDING HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. HE STATED THE AIRPLANE SWERVED ON THE RUNWAY, THEN SKIDDED SIDEWAYS OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE THEN TRAVELED ONTO A TAXIWAY WHERE IT CONTACTED A 3 TO 4 INCH RISE BETWEEN THE GRASS AND THE PAVEMENT. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED THEN THE RISE WAS CONTACTED. THE PILOT/BUILDER REPORTED THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS A RESULT OF AN UNDER INFLATED TAILWHEEL. HE REPORTED IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INFLATED TO 38 PSI DUE TO THE EXTRA WEIGHT OF HAVING A PASSENGER ON BOARD. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION GRAND RAPID S, MICHIGAN, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE REVEALED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED AT THE ATTACHMENT WELD. WHEN THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED THE LOWER RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE TERRAIN. THIS RESULTED IN A FAILURE OF THE RIGHT LOWER WING REAR SPAR. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPLANE SWERVED AND SKIDDED SIDEWAYS OFF THE RUNWAY DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE AIRPLANE TRAVELED ONTO A TAXIWAY WHERE IT CONTACTED A 3 TO 4 INCH RISE BETWEEN THE GRASS AND THE PAVEMENT. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED THEN THE RISE WAS CONTACTED. THE PILOT/BUILDER REPORTED THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS A RESULT OF AN UNDER INFLATED TAILWHEEL. HE REPORTED IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INFLATED TO 38 PSI DUE TO THE EXTRA WEIGHT OF HAVING A PASSENGER ON BOARD. (-23) ON JULY 1, 1998 AT 1520 EDT AN EXPERIMENTAL/AMATUER BUILT STARDUSTER AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE R/H LOWER WING MAIN SPAR CAP WHEN THE R/H MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSES WHILE LANDING AT JAMES CLEMENTS AIRPORT, BAY CITY, MI. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI98LA231](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA231), Jul 1, 1998: Kerr Startduster TOO (N159MK), Bay City, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to assure the tailwheel tire had adequate pressure which resulted in his inability to maintain directional control of the airplane during a landing. Factors associated with the… ## Other reports on N159MK (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20130810014589A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130810014589A), Aug 10, 2013: Kerr Matthew STARDUSTER TOO (N159MK), Frankenmuth, MI, Substantial damage. Upon landing runway 9 Frankenmuth Zehnder field (66G) mi, pilot over shot the runway, aircraft right wing hit the corn field forcing the entire aircraft into… - [Accident 19860628028189A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860628028189A), Jun 28, 1986: Amtrso STARDUSTER2 (N159MK), Roundup, MT, Substantial damage. Landed hard. Impact broke off the right main gear at a weld joint. Aircraft then veered off the runway. - [Incident 19810321021959I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810321021959I), Mar 21, 1981: Amtrso STARDUSTR100 (N159MK), Bay City, MI, Minor damage. Approach too high and fast. Descended, engine failed to catch and landed short on bank of river levee. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.