Amateur-built Stewart Headwind B accident near Cloverdale, Indiana, July 1, 2005
On July 1, 2005, a amateur-built Stewart Headwind B, registered N64MF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cloverdale, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fuel starvation leading to the loss of engine power during takeoff. Factors were the pilot's insufficient information on the fuel system and the sign that had to be circumnavigated during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2005
- Place
- Cloverdale, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Stewart Headwind B
- Registration
- N64MF · registry record · serial 1MM
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental amateur-built airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain during a forced landing following an in-flight loss of engine power on initial climb. The pilot stated, "At [approximately] 250 [feet above ground level] on the climb and over the departure end of the runway, the engine cut out. I immediately leveled off, applied carb heat [and] reduced throttle; the engine 'caught' and I began a left bank turn to provide room for a right turn to land back on our strip; simultaneously, I attempted to gain altitude; the engine cut out again. ... I had insufficient altitude and airspeed to make it over the sign and could not increase my right bank angle, so I went to the left (north) of the sign and impacted the ground at minimum airspeed next to the sign." The engine was test run and no pre-impact anomalies were found with the engine or airframe. The pilot's safety recommendation stated, "This [aircraft] was a recently purchased 'experimental' [aircraft]. During the investigation, we discovered the fuel tanks had only one outlet - in the center on the end of each tank, meaning 1/2 fuel level or less was insufficient in a climb or glide attitude. Had that info been available, the accident could have been avoided!"
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: II07 Cloverdale IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N64MF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI05CA161.