# NTSB CEN25LA103: Starduster II, N78WT, Azle, TX, February 24, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: February 24, 2025, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place: Azle, TX
- Coordinates: 32.8951, -97.5459 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8951&lon=-97.5459&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 2 minor
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, North Texas FSDO, Lycoming Engines
- NTSB case key (mKey): 199756
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA103
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199756/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA103

## Preliminary report

On February 24, 2025, at 1430 central standard time, a Starduster II airplane, N78WT, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Azle, Texas. The private pilot and a passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot had flown the airplane earlier in the day and planned on flying the airplane in the airport traffic pattern at the time of the accident. He said the takeoff was normal and during the downwind to base leg turn for runway 15, the airplane became sluggish and was sinking. He said the left wing dropped severely, which he attributed to a tip stall. He corrected for the wing drop by applying right aileron and right rudder inputs. The left wing rose and then dropped again. He said the airplane was not equipped with a stall warning system. He advanced the engine throttle but did not feel a response. He said that he was not looking at the engine tachometer because he was looking at the airport. The airplane descended and impacted terrain. A postcrash fire ensued, which destroyed the airplane. The airplane was retained for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241); cases with it: [Maughan Wesley J STARDUSTER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=8660369), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md)
- [Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Maughan Wesley J STARDUSTER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=8660369), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N78WT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N78WT), registered now, S/N M-3, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Starduster II
- Registry model: [Maughan Wesley J STARDUSTER II](https://openairdocs.org/model/maughan-wesley-j-starduster-ii) (registry code 8660369) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming HIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-hio-360-series) (registry code 41524, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: M-3
- Year built: 1980
- Airframe hours: 2870.76
- Damage: Destroyed
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, May 4, 2014
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: 2TE2, Flying Oaks Airport, runway 15, 2,800 × 15 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment: None

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 190° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observed at: NFW, 6 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250224013779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250224013779A), Feb 24, 2025: Maughan Wesley J STARDUSTER II, Azle, TX, Destroyed. Arrived on scene, issued PIC the compliance philosophy brochure containing the pilot's bill of rights. PIC stated that he'd flown the airplane earlier in the…

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.

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