FTW99LA106

NTSB accident investigation · Starduster SA-100 · Kingston, OK · April 5, 1999

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
April 5, 1999, 10:20 local (15:20 UTC)
Place
Kingston, OK
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N227FGStarduster SA-100
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 25, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19990405017699A
Case key
46074

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain control of the airplane during the landing roll. A factor was the gusty wind conditions.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Aircraft control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Weather condition - gustsFactor
In flight collision with terrain/waterLanding

Analysis

The pilot lost control of the airplane during the landing roll. During the landing roll a gust of wind lifted the right wing and empennage into the air and, consequently, the nose dragged along the runway surface approximately 30 feet. The airplane exited the departure end of the runway, flipped over and came to rest in the inverted position. Thirty minutes after the accident occurred a weather observation facility, located 25 miles northwest of the accident site, reported that the winds were from 230 degrees at 25 knots, gusting to 30 knots.

Factual narrative

On April 5, 1999, at 1020 central daylight time, a Starduster SA-100 experimental, tailwheel equipped airplane, N227FG, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing at the Lake Texoma State Park Airport, near Kingston, Oklahoma. The non-instrument rated private pilot, who was the owner and operator, and the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from Kingston, Oklahoma, at 0945.

The pilot reported that he maneuvered the single-place airplane to land on runway 36. Soon after touching down, the homebuilt airplane encountered "a gust of wind from the east." The right wing and empennage lifted into the air and, consequently, the nose of the airplane dragged along the runway surface approximately 30 feet. Subsequently, the airplane exited the departure end of the runway, flipped over and came to rest in the inverted position.

At 1050, a weather observation facility located 25 miles northwest of the accident site reported that the winds were from 230 degrees at 15 knots with gusts to 25 knots.

The pilot had accumulated a total of 1,700 flight hours at the time of the accident, of which 1,600 hours were in the make and model of the accident airplane.

An FAA inspector examined the airplane and reported that the rudder was folded over the vertical stabilizer and the right wing spar was damaged. One propeller blade was separated at the propeller hub and the second propeller blade remained attached to the propeller and was "scuffed" at the tip.

Aircraft

Registration
N227FG
Reported as
Starduster SA-100
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
2424-2G
Airframe hours
649
Engine
Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Charles C. Grant
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · February 1, 1999 · 18 hours before
Departed
F31
Airport
F31 · Lake Texoma State Park, runway 36, 3,000 × 50 ft, asphalt

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
75
Certificate
Private
Medical
Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
Seat
Center
Flight hours
1,700 total · 1,600 in this make and model · 1,700 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
230° at 15 knots, gusting 25
Visibility
20 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
66 °F, dew point 37 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
ADM, 25 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.