Deley Starduster SA-100 N717MD

Summary

On 22 October 1983 at about 21:00 local time, a Deley Starduster SA-100 registered N717MD was involved in an accident near Wrightwood, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

22 October 1983 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wrightwood, California, United States

Coordinates

34.3605, -117.6109

Aircraft

Deley Starduster SA-100

Registration

N717MD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX84FA025

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT CRASHED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN VMC WEATHER. THERE IS NO RECORD OF RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE ACFT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE ACFT IMPACTED A 30 DEGREE UPSLOPE IN A 25 DEGREE NOSE DOWN WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. TWO WITNESSES SAID THEY OBSERVED THE ACFT FLYING IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION. THEY SAID THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND CUT OUT AND THE ACFT BEGAN A LEFT TURN AS IF TO REVERSE COURSE. THE MOUNTAINS APPEARED HIGHER THAN THE ACFT AT THIS TIME. THE WITNESSES SAID THEY DID NOT SEE THE ACTUAL GROUND IMPACT BUT SAW DIRT FLY UP IN THE AIR. THEY RAN TO THE AREA AND FOUND THE WRECKAGE. THE FUEL TANK AND FUEL LINE WERE BROKEN BUT A COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY REPORTED SEEING AND SMELLING FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.