Amateur-built STAR LITE accident near San Antonio, Texas, June 9, 2012
On June 9, 2012 at about 5:15 pm local time, a amateur-built STAR LITE, registered N319NP, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near San Antonio, Texas (San Geronimo Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The separation of the fuel tank sealant coating, which traveled into the fuel pump, blocked the fuel flow, and resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2012 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · San Geronimo Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STAR LITE
- Registration
- N319NP · no longer on the register · serial 1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane’s engine operated normally during the engine run-up and takeoff ground run. However, after takeoff, at an altitude of about 150 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot turned the airplane back toward the airport in an attempt to reach the runway. A hard landing was made in the grass alongside the runway. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane continued to slide onto the runway before coming to rest. The airplane’s wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. A postaccident examination revealed that pieces of a sealant coating that was applied to the inside of the fuel tank had dislodged. The pilot believed that the coating dislodged because the coating in that area (the curvature where the side and bottom of the fuel tank meet) had not properly cured after he applied it 6 years before the accident. Pieces of this coating were found inside the fuel pump, which likely prevented fuel flow to the engine.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel pump › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 558 hours in all; 155 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 510 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 27, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 155 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 26, 2011; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 555 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 447 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8T8 San Antonio TX at 5:15 pm
- Destination: 8T8 San Antonio TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,000 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from SKF, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 16, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Email from FAA Inspector | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.