Amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO SA300 accident near Lake Wales, Florida, May 2, 1997
On May 2, 1997 at about 6:15 pm local time, a amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO SA300, registered N14525, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Wales, Florida (Lake Wales 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
failure of the tail wheel to lock in the centered detent during the beginning of the takeoff roll, which resulted in the pilot being unable to maintain directional control and the aircraft drifting off the runway and nosing over in the soft ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 1997 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · Lake Wales · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO SA300 STARDUSTER
- Registration
- N14525 · registry record · serial 487
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft drifted to the right, and application of left rudder did not correct the drift. The aircraft went off the right side of the runway, and the pilot aborted the takeoff. With application of left brake the aircraft nosed over in the soft ground. The pilot stated he had no mechanical difficulties with the aircraft and that he believed the tail wheel did not lock in the center detent during the start of the takeoff roll.
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command; 7,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 182 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 19, 1997; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,380 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2C5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X07 at 6:15 pm
- Destination: 23J Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 3,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from LAL, 23 miles away
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.
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 MIA97LA157.