Amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO accident near Frankenmuth, Michigan, August 10, 2013
On August 10, 2013 at about 6:00 pm local time, a amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO, registered N159MK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Frankenmuth, Michigan (Zehnder Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with a corn field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2013 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Frankenmuth, Michigan · Zehnder Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO
- Registration
- N159MK · registry record · serial MK-2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a statement provided to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot reported that while landing on the narrow runway the wind was prevailing from the left. During the landing roll, the pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane and correct for the wind, but the airplane veered to the right and exited the runway. The airplane continued to the right into a corn field, came to rest upright, and sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. An FAA Inspector examined the airplane and found no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Runway excursion during landing defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 66G Frankenmuth MI
- Destination: 3CM Bay City MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 2,350 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from KHYX, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N159MK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.