Woodrow Stolp-Adams STARDUSTER SA-100 N64HW

Summary

On 21 October 2001 at about 17:10 local time, a Woodrow Stolp-Adams STARDUSTER SA-100 registered N64HW was involved in an accident near Millstadt, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 October 2001 at 17:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Millstadt, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

38.4503, -90.0894

Aircraft

Woodrow Stolp-Adams STARDUSTER SA-100

Registration

N64HW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI02LA007

1 person died.

The pilot not maintaining altitude/clearance from the tree line. Factors to the accident were the pilot attempting the low altitude flight/maneuver and the presence of the tree line.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to witnesses to the accident, the airplane was maneuvering at a low altitude over their residence at the time of accident. The witnesses reported that the airplane was turning back towards their position when it impacted the top of a tree and subsequently impacted the terrain. One witness reported that the airplane's engine had "normal" power prior to the impact with the tree line. There was a debris field, approximately 125 feet long by 50 feet wide, which was orientated on an easterly heading. At the western edge of the debris field, approximately 125 feet from the tree line, there was a ground-impact and fragmented portions of tree material. The aircraft wreckage was located approximately 100 feet from the initial ground impact and was facing west. The entire airplane was exposed to varying degrees of fire damage. The fabric covering of the fuselage and tail surfaces were completely burned. The entire wing was consumed in the post-impact fire. The engine, cowling structure, and propeller were damaged by fire. No mechanical anomalies were found with the airplane or its flight control systems. At the pilot's last medical examination he reported that he had accumulated a total flight time of 1,500 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.