Amateur-built FIRE STAR II accident near Church Hill, Tennessee, April 18, 2009
On April 18, 2009 at about 4:44 pm local time, a amateur-built FIRE STAR II, registered N582EF, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Church Hill, Tennessee (Darnell'S Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid an aerodynamic stall during final approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2009 · about 4:44 pm local time
- Place
- Church Hill, Tennessee · Darnell'S Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built FIRE STAR II
- Registration
- N582EF · registry record · serial EHM-1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During final approach to a turf runway, the pilot of the amateur-built airplane noted that he was too high and the airspeed was 60 to 65 mph. He reduced engine power to descend, and was then distracted while viewing wildlife in a field below him. When the pilot looked back at the airspeed indicator, it displayed 40 mph. The airplane then "stalled" and the pilot felt the left wing drop. The airplane subsequently struck a fence and the nose impacted the ground. The airplane flipped over and came to rest short of the runway. The pilot sustained serious injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged. A witness familiar with the accident airplane reported that its stall speed was in the "mid-30s." A weather observation taken 10 minutes after the accident, at an airport 14 nautical miles away, reported calm winds; however, the pilot recalled wind gusting from his left and from behind after impact. A witness recalled that it was sunny with thermal updrafts and downdrafts. The pilot had over 177 hours of flight experience in the accident 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
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,909 hours in all; 177 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 725 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RVN Rogersville TN at 4:45 pm
- Destination: 77TN Church Hill TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 1,500 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from TRI, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.