Amateur-built Starduster SA300 accident near Churchville, Maryland, January 20, 2006
On January 20, 2006 at about 10:07 pm local time, a amateur-built Starduster SA300, registered N1923S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Churchville, Maryland (Harford County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2006 · about 10:07 pm local time
- Place
- Churchville, Maryland · Harford County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Starduster SA300
- Registration
- N1923S · registry record · serial 1786
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses observed the airplane "climbing like a rocket" during takeoff. As the airplane reached an altitude of approximately 70 feet, it banked to the left, then to the right, and then descended to the ground. The airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical deficiencies with the airframe or engine.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0W3 Churchville MD at 9:07 pm
- Destination: MTN Martin State MD
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 28, 2,000 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from MTN, 18 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.
Other NTSB records under N1923S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.