Amateur-built STARDUSTER SA 100 accident near Southfields, New York, September 15, 2017
On September 15, 2017 at about 5:11 pm local time, a 1982 amateur-built STARDUSTER SA 100, registered N1356W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Southfields, New York. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loose oil line that allowed oil to drip on the exhaust system, which resulted in smoke during cruise flight and a subsequent precautionary landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 2017 · about 5:11 pm local time
- Place
- Southfields, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STARDUSTER SA 100 NO SERIES, built 1982
- Registration
- N1356W · registry record · serial RAP-02
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a cross-country, personal flight. He reported that, while approaching the destination airport at a cruise altitude of 2,500 ft mean sea level, he noticed smoke coming from the engine cowling. Concerned that there was a fire, he decided to immediately land the airplane in an open field. During touchdown, the airplane impacted 5-ft-tall grass and immediately cartwheeled. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that there was a loose oil line fitting at the oil cooler and that oil was dripping on the exhaust system, which likely resulted in the smoke the pilot saw before initiating the precautionary landing.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Loss of control on ground during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › (general) › Not specified
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 870 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 810 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 26, 2016
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 610 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 14, 2017; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,290 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 SERIES (piston); 400 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNC Chester CT at 4:00 pm
- Destination: N72 Warwick NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from KSWF, 13 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.
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 ERA17LA338.