Amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO SA300 accident near Fort Worth, Texas, June 4, 2014
On June 4, 2014 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1975 amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO SA300, registered N8DT, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Fort Worth, Texas (Flying Oaks Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The non-certificated pilot’s inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2014 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Flying Oaks Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO SA300, built 1975
- Registration
- N8DT · registry record · serial TST1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot attempted to return to the runway but was unable to reach it so he attempted to land on a 1/4-mile-long driveway that paralleled the runway, but the airplane struck a tree and impacted the driveway. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane's propeller and spinner had separated from the engine and had sustained minimal impact damage: there were no signatures of rotational damage consistent with the engine developing power at the time of impact. The airplane's fuel tanks were examined and no fuel was observed. The fuel tanks were not breached during the impact, and there was no evidence of fuel leaks or fuel stains at the accident site. The pilot was not a registered pilot and did not hold a Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate. The pilot's flight experience is unknown.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during takeoff defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 15 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 406 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 9, 2013; 15 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-340-A1A (piston); 1,751 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2TE2 Fort Worth TX at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,800 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 300 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from AFW, 14 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
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.
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.