Starflight STARFIRE accident near Grand Junction, Colorado, August 30, 1983
On August 30, 1983, a Starflight STARFIRE (ultralight), registered UNREG, suffered minor damage in an accident near Grand Junction, Colorado. It was a personal flight under ultralight rules (Part 103). 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- August 30, 1983
- Place
- Grand Junction, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Starflight STARFIRE
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · ultralight rules (Part 103)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS TRYING TO GET THE FEEL OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS TAKING IT ABOUT 1 FOOT OFF THE GROUND BEFORE SETTING IT BACK DOWN. ON THE FINAL TAKEOFF, THE WIND LIFTED THE ACFT UP TO ABOUT 15-20 FEET AND IT STALLED. AS THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO RECOVER, THE ACFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY, THE ACFT IS CONTROLLED BY THE PILOT SHIFTING HIS WEIGHT. THERE ARE NO ELEVATOR OR AILERON CONTROLS. THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST FLIGHT IN ANY TYPE ACFT.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna UNKNOWN (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 UNREG 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.