Amateur-built STARDUSTER SA-300 accident near Reklaw, Texas, October 27, 2012
On October 27, 2012 at about 4:00 pm local time, a amateur-built STARDUSTER SA-300, registered N2369, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Reklaw, Texas (Flying M Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2012 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Reklaw, Texas · Flying M Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STARDUSTER SA-300
- Registration
- N2369 · no longer on the register · serial DB-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 he was landing on a private grass airstrip and that the grass was wet from the previous night’s rain. He stated that the airstrip was not flat and had sections that rolled up and down. He added that the airplane touched down harder than usual, which caused the landing gear to spread outward on the wet grass. The engine’s propeller was then low enough to contact the rising terrain, and the airplane nosed over. A witness reported that the airplane bounced on the runway about three times before the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to rest in the inverted position, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, top wings, and the engine firewall.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › (general) › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 45 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 27, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 915 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 7, 2012
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor I0-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KHQZ Mesquite TX
- Destination: 7TA7 Reklaw TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 3,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KJSO, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 12, 2012. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness and Notification Details | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo: Accident Airplane (Non NTSB Photo) | 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.