CEN14LA290

Factual narrative

On June 4, 2014, about 1800 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Tuenis Starduster TOO SA300, N8DT, sustained substantial damage when it impacted tress and terrain after a loss of engine power during takeoff from the Flying Oaks Airport (2TE2), Fort Worth, Texas. The non-certificated pilot and passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot individual under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was departing 2TE2 about 1800. The airplane departed runway 15 (2,800 feet by 150 feet, turf). Shortly after takeoff, the engine lost power and the pilot turned the airplane 180 degrees. He was unable to return to the runway, and the pilot attempted to land on a 1/4 mile long driveway that paralleled the runway. During the forced landing, the airplane struck a tree, and then impacted the driveway about 65 feet from the tree impact, and came to rest about 131 feet from the initial tree impact. A witness reported that she heard the engine sputter and lose power before it impacted the ground. The passenger was able to free himself from the wreckage, but the pilot in the rear seat had to be extricated by first responders who separated the fuselage aft of the pilot's seat. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector arrived at the accident site about 4 hours after the accident. The examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane's propeller and spinner had separated from the engine. There was minimal impact damage to the propeller blades and spinner, and there were no signatures of rotational damage consistent with an engine developing power. He observed no evidence of a fuel spill or fuel odor in the debris path. He removed the top wing fuel tank cap and there was no evidence of fuel. He checked the fuselage fuel tank for fuel and none was observed. There was no evidence of fuel leaks or fuel staining. He reported that the fuel tanks were intact and not breached. The following morning he returned to the accident site and checked the fuel tanks again with an inspection camera and confirmed that there was no fuel in the fuel tanks. The wreckage was moved with a tractor and the ground was checked for evidence of fuel, but none was observed within the wreckage area. The airplane was registered to the pilot. A bill of sale indicated that he purchased the airplane on January 27, 2014. Maintenance records indicated that the last conditional inspection of the airplane was conducted on December 9, 2013, with a reading tachometer time of 406.71 hours. The recording tachometer time at the accident site was 421.46 hours. The pilot was not a registered pilot and he did not hold a FAA medical certificate. The pilot's flight experience is unknown. The airplane's recording tachometer indicated that it had flown about 15 hours since the last conditional maintenance inspection. The pilot did not provide the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) a completed NTSB Accident Form 6120.1. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot attempted to return to the runway but was unable to reach it so he attempted to land on a 1/4-mile-long driveway that paralleled the runway, but the airplane struck a tree and impacted the driveway. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane's propeller and spinner had separated from the engine and had sustained minimal impact damage: there were no signatures of rotational damage consistent with the engine developing power at the time of impact. The airplane's fuel tanks were examined and no fuel was observed. The fuel tanks were not breached during the impact, and there was no evidence of fuel leaks or fuel stains at the accident site. The pilot was not a registered pilot and did not hold a Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate. The pilot's flight experience is unknown. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level - C
• C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Inadequate inspection - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Fuel planning-Pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Qualification/certification-Pilot - C