Amateur-built STARDUSTER II accident near Morrilton, Arkansas, June 19, 2018
On June 19, 2018 at about 1:15 pm local time, a 2016 amateur-built STARDUSTER II, registered N969TM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Morrilton, Arkansas (Morrilton Muni 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control during an aborted landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2018 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Morrilton, Arkansas · Morrilton Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STARDUSTER II NO SERIES, built 2016
- Registration
- N969TM · registry record · serial 1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped biplane, he was performing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. During the landing roll, the biplane veered right, and he aborted the landing. However, the biplane failed to gain altitude, exited the right side of the runway, and collided with a drainage culvert. The biplane then rolled about 50 ft into the field on the right side of the runway and stopped. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the lower right wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 233 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 167 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 5, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 16, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,984 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 1,750 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BDQ Morrilton AR at 12:30 pm
- Destination: BDQ Morrilton AR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,700 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KRUE, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 GAA18CA365.