Amateur-built STARLITE accident near Arlington, Texas, June 27, 1987
On June 27, 1987 at about 1:05 am local time, a amateur-built STARLITE, registered N172SL, was destroyed in an accident near Arlington, Texas (Arlington airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were 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
- June 27, 1987 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Arlington, Texas · Arlington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STARLITE
- Registration
- N172SL · no longer on the register · serial 172
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOR THE 156 HOUR PRIVATE PILOT IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE, HOWEVER, HE HAD PREVIOUSLY MADE SEVERAL HIGH SPEED TAXI RUNS IN IT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PILOT USED ONLY ABOUT HALF THROTTLE FOR THE ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT REPORTEDLY SHOULD HAVE LIFTED OFF WITHIN 300 FEET, BUT INSTEAD, IT FAILED TO BREAK GROUND UNTIL IT WAS ABOUT 2,000 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY. IT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 50 FEET AGL AND THEN THE NOSE PITCHED UP TO ABOUT A 20 DEGREE ATTITUDE AND THE AIRSPEED DROPPED TO ABOUT 30 MPH OR LESS. IT THEN STALLED AND ROLLED SHARPLY LEFT AND WENT INVERTED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ENTERED A NEAR VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WHICH WAS MAINTAINED UNTIL GROUND IMPACT OCCURRED. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF AIRCRAFT, ENGINE, OR SYSTEM FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. LIKEWISE, THE PATHOLOGICAL AND TOXICOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE PILOT REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS.
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: 156 hours in all; 9 in the last 90 days; 116 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 56 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, June 8, 1987; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 447 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 am from NBE, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.