Amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO accident near Cedar Fort, Utah, October 28, 2008
On October 28, 2008 at about 5:05 pm local time, a amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO, registered N78DS, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (aerobatics) near Cedar Fort, Utah (Cedar Valley Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed and/or angle of attack to avoid a stall/spin during an aerobatic maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2008 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Cedar Fort, Utah · Cedar Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built STARDUSTER TOO
- Registration
- N78DS · registry record · serial DAS-1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Multiple witnesses in the vicinity of the accident site reported observing the accident airplane performing a series of aerobatic maneuvers at a low altitude. The airplane was observed in what the witnesses described as a "flat spin" about 1,000 feet above ground level that continued until ground impact. One witness stated that he heard the engine running until the airplane impacted the ground. The airplane was consumed in a postimpact ground fire and all major components of the airplane were located at the accident site. No anomalies were noted with the airplane flight control system during an examination of the wreckage.
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 in flight during maneuvering (aerobatics)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (aerobatics) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 439 hours in all; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 27, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 272.2 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U42 West Jordan UT
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.47 inHg
- Observation at 4:47 pm from PVU, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.