Schrack Starduster Too accident near Verona, KY
On September 3, 2007, a Schrack Starduster Too (airplane) was involved in an accident near Verona, KY. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 3, 2007
- Place
- Verona, KY
- Aircraft
- Schrack Starduster Too · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.805°N, 84.657°W
- NTSB ID
- 20070926X01451
NTSB summary
History of the Flight On September 3, 2007, at 1534 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Starduster Too, N5462, was destroyed during collision with trees and a postcrash fire after takeoff from Ryan Field (7KY2), Verona, Kentucky. The certificated commercial pilot/owner and passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight that was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. During interviews with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, several witnesses said the pilot was giving rides to members of a wedding party that had gathered for a rehearsal dinner event, and that the accident flight was the third flight performed by the pilot. The witnesses remarked that during the passenger swap after the second flight, the engine sounded "rough," and was "popping" and "sputtering." One witness said that as the airplane began its taxi for takeoff, the engine "sputtered again and almost stalled," before it ran smoothly again. Another witness communicated with the pilot by handheld radio. He also heard the popping sound and discussed it with the pilot. They both believed the sputtering was the result of a fouled spark plug, and the pilot announced he would "burn it off." The witness said a "blackish/gray smoke puffed" from the exhaust during taxi, and that the pilot performed a magneto check prior to takeoff. The pilot announced that the airplane "sounds good" over the radio and began the takeoff roll. The description of the takeoff, and a shar
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the inadvertent stall.
More accidents in KY
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Browse: Kentucky
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
