Amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO and Cessna 170 mid-air collision near Lacey, Washington, September 7, 1992
On September 7, 1992, 2 aircraft, amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO (N4316) and Cessna 170 (N2620V), were involved in a mid-air collision near Lacey, Washington (Aero Plaza Airport). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO SEE AND AVOID EACH OTHER.
THE FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO SEE AND AVOID EACH OTHER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 1992
- Place
- Lacey, Washington · Aero Plaza Airport · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO STARDUSTER
- Registration
- N4316 · no longer on the register · serial 1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 170 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N2620V · no longer on the register · serial 18130
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE STARDUSTER TOO, N4316, DEPARTED RWY 25 AT THE UNCONTROLLED ARPT CLOSELY BEHIND THE CE-170, N2620V. AFTER TAKEOFF, HE PROCEEDED STRAIGHT OUT IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION, AND THEN REAPPEARED ABOUT 1 MIN LATER TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HE EXECUTED A LOW LEVEL PASS OVER RWY 7 AT ABOUT 30-40 FT AGL AT AN AIRSPEED ESTIMATED BY TO BE GREATER THAN 150 MPH. HE THEN EXECUTED A RAPID PULL UP AT THE EAST END OF THE RUNWAY. ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT THE STARDUSTER PILOT WAS BEGINNING HIS LOW PASS, THE CE-170, WHICH HAD ENTERED A LEFT CLOSED PATTERN AFTER TAKEOFF, WAS BEGINNING A CONTINUOUS 180 DEG LEFT HAND DESCENDING TURN TO THE APPROACH END OF RWY 25. APPROXIMATELY 1-2 SEC AFTER THE CESSNA ROLLED OUT ON FINAL, IT AND THE STARDUSTER, WHICH HAD JUST INITIATED ITS RAPID PULL UP, COLLIDED AT ABOUT 75-100 FT AGL. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF RADIO TRANSMISSIONS FROM EITHER AIRCRAFT ON ANY FREQUENCY.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 170 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE STARDUSTER TOO, N4316, DEPARTED RWY 25 AT THE UNCONTROLLED ARPT CLOSELY BEHIND THE CE-170, N2620V. AFTER TAKEOFF, HE PROCEEDED STRAIGHT OUT IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION, AND THEN REAPPEARED ABOUT 1 MIN LATER TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HE EXECUTED A LOW LEVEL PASS OVER RWY 7 AT ABOUT 30-40 FT AGL AT AN AIRSPEED ESTIMATED BY TO BE GREATER THAN 150 MPH. HE THEN EXECUTED A RAPID PULL UP AT THE EAST END OF THE RUNWAY. ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT THE STARDUSTER PILOT WAS BEGINNING HIS LOW PASS, THE CE-170, WHICH HAD ENTERED A LEFT CLOSED PATTERN AFTER TAKEOFF, WAS BEGINNING A CONTINUOUS 180 DEG LEFT HAND DESCENDING TURN TO THE APPROACH END OF RWY 25. APPROXIMATELY 1-2 SEC AFTER THE CESSNA ROLLED OUT ON FINAL, IT AND THE STARDUSTER, WHICH HAD JUST INITIATED ITS RAPID PULL UP, COLLIDED AT ABOUT 75-100 FT AGL. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF RADIO TRANSMISSIONS FROM EITHER AIRCRAFT ON ANY FREQUENCY.
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 for the amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 1,985 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental E-185 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WA44
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 2,015 ft by 116 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from OLM, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
The factual record for the Cessna 170 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,350 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,015 ft by 116 ft
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.
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.