Amateur-built STARDUSTER SA-100 accident near New Baden, Illinois, July 26, 1986
On July 26, 1986 at about 7:10 pm local time, a amateur-built STARDUSTER SA-100, registered N64HW, was destroyed in an accident near New Baden, Illinois (Fischer airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1986 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- New Baden, Illinois · Fischer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STARDUSTER SA-100 STARDUSTER
- Registration
- N64HW · no longer on the register · serial HW101
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE OWNER OF THE SINGLE SEAT, HOME BUILT, ACFT OFFERED TO ALLOW A NAVY F-14 PLT TO FLY THE PLANE. THE OWNER MADE A SHORTFLT, THEN PROCEEDED TO GIVE THE F-14 PLT A COCKPIT CHECK. THE CHECK-OUT EXPLAINATION INCLUDED SUCH THINGS AS THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS, TAKEOFF & APCH SPEEDS, & POWER SETTINGS. THIS WAS THE NAVY PLT'S 1ST FLT IN THIS MAKE & MODEL OF ACFT. ABOUT 5 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER A SLOW ROLL AS IT WAS HEADING TWD THE ARPT. THE MANEUVER WAS INITIATED AT ABOUT 300 FT AGL. AS THE ACFT ROLLED, IT ENTERED ABOUT A 20 DEG NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE & IMPACTED THE GROUND BEFORE THE PLT COULD RECOVER. NO PREIMPACTY PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION. THIS WAS THEPLT'S 1ST KNOWN FLT IN A CIVILIAN OR PISTON ENG ACFT. HE DID NOT POSSESS AN FAA PLT CERTIFICATE.
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: military
- Flight time: 469 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Unknown (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 467 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 13, 1986; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,210 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,400 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 008° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from BLV, 8 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.
Other NTSB records under N64HW 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.