Amateur-built Starduster SA-1 accident near Sherman, Texas, April 8, 2002
On April 8, 2002 at about 9:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Starduster SA-1, registered N2XM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sherman, Texas (Sherman Municipal airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadvertent use of unsuitable taxi terrain, which resulted in an encounter with a ditch while taxing from landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2002 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sherman, Texas · Sherman Municipal · 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-1
- Registration
- N2XM · no longer on the register · serial B82F90
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed in the recently purchased airplane for a solo familiarization flight. He proceeded to another airport and performed four landings, of which the last three were touch-and-go landings. During the fifth landing roll, the airplane departed the runway surface. The pilot was attempting to taxi the airplane back to the runway when the airplane contacted a 1-foot deep ditch and nosed over. The pilot had accumulated a total of 1.5 hours in the accident airplane at the time of the accident.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 194 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 87 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 17, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 269.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 4, 2002; 1.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,160 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T31 Mckinney TX at 7:30 pm
- Destination: T31
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,005 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft
- 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.
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.