Amateur-built STARDUSTER II accident near Kahului, Hawaii, February 10, 1996
On February 10, 1996 at about 1:29 am local time, a amateur-built STARDUSTER II, registered N1457, was destroyed in an accident near Kahului, Hawaii (Kahalui airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a faulty engine magneto, and decision by the pilot-in-command to operate the airplane with known deficiencies. A factor relating to the accident was: the airplane was overdue for an annual inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 10, 1996 · about 1:29 am local time
- Place
- Kahului, Hawaii · Kahalui · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STARDUSTER II STARDUSTER
- Registration
- N1457 · no longer on the register · serial 01
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had not been flown recently, and the engine made a popping noise during run-up. The pilot accepted a midfield intersection departure from the 6,995-foot-long runway. At about the time the airplane rotated for takeoff, the engine started to make the popping noise again. At about 75 feet above the ground, the engine quit running. The airplane had flown past the departure end of the runway, and the pilot attempted to return to the airport. However, the airplane crash landed in a sugar cane field before reaching the runway. The last previous annual inspection had been completed on 2/14/93. In November 1995, an A&P mechanic made another inspection. The mechanic indicated the airplane was in need of work and the engine had low compression. He did not return the airplane to service and released it back to the pilot/previous owner. The pilot told the mechanic he would complete the repairs himself. Examination of the left magneto revealed the internal 'P' lead was detached from its connector; and the left magneto's internal mechanism was dirty, contaminated with engine oil, and displayed evidence of internal electrical arcing. According to the engine manufacturer, this could account for the popping noise. No record was found that the pilot possessed a current airman medical certificate or biennial flight review.
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: 1,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,236 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 14, 1993; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGG at 1:28 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 6,995 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Observation at 11:53 am from OGG
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.