Accident Summary
On June 4, 2014, at approximately 1800 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Tuenis Starduster TOO SA300, registration N8DT, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Flying Oaks Airport (2TE2) in Fort Worth, Texas. The airplane was departing runway 15, a turf runway measuring 2,800 feet by 150 feet. Shortly after takeoff, the engine lost power. The pilot executed a 180-degree turn and attempted to land on a parallel driveway about a quarter mile long. During the landing, the airplane struck a tree and then impacted the driveway 65 feet from the initial tree strike, coming to rest 131 feet from the first impact. Both the non-certificated pilot and a passenger received serious injuries.
A witness reported hearing the engine sputter and lose power before impact. The passenger freed himself from the wreckage, while first responders extricated the pilot from the rear seat by separating the fuselage aft of the pilot's seat. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Aircraft Information
The Tuenis Starduster TOO SA300 was an amateur-built experimental airplane registered to the pilot. A bill of sale indicated the pilot purchased the aircraft on January 27, 2014. Maintenance records showed that the last conditional inspection occurred on December 9, 2013, at a tachometer reading of 406.71 hours. The recording tachometer at the accident site read 421.46 hours, indicating the airplane had flown approximately 15 hours since that inspection.
Pilot Information
The pilot was not a certificated pilot and did not hold an FAA medical certificate. His flight experience is unknown. The pilot did not submit a completed NTSB Accident Form 6120.1.
Wreckage Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector arrived at the accident site about four hours after the crash. Examination revealed that the propeller and spinner had separated from the engine. The propeller blades and spinner showed minimal impact damage with no signatures of rotational damage consistent with an engine developing power. No evidence of a fuel spill or fuel odor was present along the debris path. The inspector removed the top wing fuel tank cap and observed no fuel. The fuselage fuel tank also contained no fuel. No fuel leaks or staining were evident, and the fuel tanks were intact and not breached. The following morning, an inspection camera confirmed the fuel tanks were empty. After the wreckage was moved, the ground showed no evidence of fuel within the area.