- Date
- August 10, 2013, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Frankenmuth, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N159MKKerr Matthew Starduster TOO
- Defining event
- Landing: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20130810014589A
- Case key
- 87755
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with a corn field.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
In a statement provided to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot reported that while landing on the narrow runway the wind was prevailing from the left. During the landing roll, the pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane and correct for the wind, but the airplane veered to the right and exited the runway. The airplane continued to the right into a corn field, came to rest upright, and sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. An FAA Inspector examined the airplane and found no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
In a statement provided to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot reported that while landing on the narrow runway the wind was prevailing from the left. During the landing roll, the pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane and correct for the wind, but the airplane veered to the right and exited the runway. The airplane continued to the right into a corn field, came to rest upright, and sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. An FAA Inspector examined the airplane and found no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N159MK
- Reported as
- Kerr Matthew Starduster TOO
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- MK-2
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-435, 175 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Matthew Kerr
- Registered owner
- Matthew Kerr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 66G · Frankenmuth, MI
- Destination
- 3CM · Bay City, MI
- Airport
- 66G · Zehnder Field Airport, runway 09, 2,350 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 85
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KHYX, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 22, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 70 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N159MK · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.