- Date
- October 29, 2020, 12:49 local (18:49 UTC)
- Place
- Cedar City, UT · CDC Airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N768PPearson Starduster
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20201029015859A
- Case key
- 102217
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
A loss of directional control for reasons that were not determined due to lack of available evidence.
Findings · 2
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
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, shortly after touch down, he lost directional effectiveness and the airplane veered right. The pilot applied full left rudder input, but the airplane exited the runway, and nosed over. The rudder was substantially damaged. The pilot reported “Maybe” as to if there was a mechanical malfunction with the airplane and stated to “pay attention for seized main wheel bearings. The interconnect spring between the rudder pedals.” The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that he had visually looked at the interconnect spring 3 days before the accident flight and reported no anomalies. The pilot did not respond to further inquiries after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N768P
- Reported as
- Pearson Starduster (SA-300)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 191
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 440.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-435-1, 175 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 4, 2020 · 7.6 hours before
- Departed
- KBVU · Boulder City, NV
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- CDC · Cedar City Regional Airport, runway 26, 4,822 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 5,507 total · 49 in this make and model · 3,736 as pilot in command · 4,815 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.32 inHg
- Observed at
- KCDC, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KCDC 291853Z AUTO 35003KT 10SM CLR 14/M08 A3032 RMK AO2 SLP246 T01391078
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 MB 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.