Amateur-built Starflight Stiletto accident near Peculiar, Missouri, April 20, 2003
On April 20, 2003 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Starflight Stiletto, registered N42KY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Peculiar, Missouri. 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 pilot's inadvertent shutdown of the engine. Contributing factors were unsuitable terrain and trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2003 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Peculiar, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Starflight Stiletto
- Registration
- N42KY · no longer on the register · serial 5033
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amateur-built airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing into trees after a complete loss of engine power during cruise flight. The pilot reported he was in cruise flight when, "the engine stopped running after I inadvertently hit the 'KILL' switch. Realizing what I had done, I place the switch back in the 'ON' position, but could not get the engine to restart." The pilot attempted to execute a forced landing to a clearing, but the airplane hit two tall trees and became hung up in their branches. The pilot exited the airplane and climbed down to lower branches where rescuers assisted in getting him to the ground. The pilot reported he will change the location of the kill switch when he rebuilds the airplane.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 220 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 126 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 2002; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 447 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 63K Stilwell KS at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 16 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from OJC, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.