Premium research interface

The modern interface for aviation safety intelligence.

Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.

63k+
Reports indexed
1940-2026
Coverage
Recent
Last data refresh
Featured Report

Loading…

Loading featured report…

Loading…
Open Report

Safety trends by operating rule

Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.

Loading trend charts…

Browse the aviation graph

Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.

Last Data Update

By Decade

By Month

Aircraft Manufacturer

More manufacturers

Airports

More airports

Operators

More operators

About

Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.

The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.

FAQs

NTSB Report

October 13, 1996 · Dellicker Starduster TOO SA300 Starduster · N7691

Eaton Rapids, MI

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
October 13, 1996
Injury Outcomes
2 injuries (2 fatalities)
Location
Eaton Rapids, MI
Aircraft
Dellicker Starduster TOO SA300 Starduster
Tail Number
N7691
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
CHI97LA010

A private pilot, who was a witness to the accident, reported that he observed the airplane depart. 'After breaking ground contact, the airplane leveled off, gained airspeed, and then near the end of the runway, the pilot pulled up sharply into a steep climb. After a couple of hundred of feet of climb [the airplane] entered a steep right turn of approximately 45 degrees. The aircraft lost control and fell to the ground and crashed.' The witness reported that he did not hear any 'unusual' sound, and he believed the engine was at full power. A second witness reported that he noticed an airplane 'going 90 degrees straight up and straight down.' One propeller blade was bent near the root in the aft direction and exhibited minor torsional bending. The other blade exhibited minor 's' shaped bending.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and subsequent inadvertent stall of the airplane. A factor was the ostentatious display.

Full Narrative

On October 13, 1996, at 1459 eastern daylight time, an experimental Starduster Too SA300, N7691, was destroyed when it impacted the terrain during the initial climb following takeoff from a residential airstrip in Eaton Rapids, Michigan. Witnesses reported that the pilot performed an aggressive pull up, and lost control of the airplane. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The local, 14 CFR Part 91, personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed. A private pilot, who was a witness to the accident, reported that he observed the airplane depart on runway 26 at the Skyway Estates Airport. " After breaking ground contact , the aircraft leveled off , gained airspeed, and then near the end of the runway the pilot pulled up sharply into a steep climb. After a couple of hundred of feet of climb [the airplane] entered a steep right turn of approximately 45 degrees. The aircraft lost control and fell to the ground and crashed." He reported that he did not hear any "unusual" sound and he believed the engine was at full power. A second witness reported that he was driving east on Columbia highway with his family. He noticed an airplane "going 90 degrees straight up and straight down. We continued to travel east... past a set of woods and we saw a plane had crashed in a field and was fully involved in fire." The wreckage was inspected by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector. He reported that a ground scar led to the main wreckage 75 feet away, with "no evidence of the airplane skidding... . " The main wreckage was located in a plowed field approximately 100 feet west and 500 feet north of the departure end of runway 26. The airplane was "badly burned and very little remained of it... the push pull tubes and cables for the ailerons, rudder, and elevator were intact... ." One propeller blade was bent near the root in the aft direction and exhibited minor torsional bending. The other blade exhibited minor "s" shaped bending. An autopsy of the pilot was conducted at the Sparrow Hospital, 1215 E. Michigan, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7980. FAA toxicological testing was negative for all tests conducted except phenyltoloxamine and and pheniramine were detected in the blood and urine specimens and phenylpropanolamine was detected in the urine specimen. Phenyltoloxamine and pheniramine are nonprescription antihistamines and phenylpropanolamine is a nonprescription decongestant.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time14:59 EDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Runway0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireGrd
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftDellicker Starduster TOO SA300 Starduster
Tail NumberN7691
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageDestroyed
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-540 · Reciprocating · 250

People & Injuries

Injury Summary2 injuries (2 fatalities)
Fatal2
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total2
Crew 1Age 54 · Third Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind220° @ 9 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point54
Altimeter29.00 inHg
Observation Time18:58
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data