- Date
- May 23, 2002, 19:30 local (May 24, 2002, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Panacea, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5545FStearman A75N1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Tampa FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020523011659A
- Case key
- 54777
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from fuel restriction through the fuel shutoff valve.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after takeoff, when the airplane was approximately 100 feet above the ground, the engine lost power and quit. The pilot elected to attempt a landing on the remaining runway. The airplane collided with the runway in a 35- to 40-degree nose-down attitude. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that when the fuel shutoff valve was turned off, the valve closed completely. When the fuel shutoff valve was opened, the valve opened halfway, while indicating completely open.
Factual narrative
On May 23, 2002, at 1930 eastern daylight time, a Stearman A75N1, N5545F, registered to and owned by the pilot, collided with runway 18 shortly after takeoff from Wakulla County Airport in Panacea, Florida. The pleasure flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airline transport pilot and his passenger received no injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight departed Panacea, Florida, at 1928.
According to the pilot, no abnormalities were noted during preflight inspection or engine run up. The pilot taxied the airplane onto the runway 18 and initiated a normal takeoff. All engine instruments were in the normal operating range, and the airplane rotated less than halfway down the 2785-foot long runway. When the airplane was approximately 100 feet above the ground, the engine began to lose power and subsequently quit. The pilot elected to attempt a landing on the remaining runway. The airplane collided with the runway in a 35- to 40-degree nose-down attitude.
Examination of the airplane revealed the landing gear had sheared off and the wheels had pushed through the wings. In addition, damage had occurred to the lower left wing, both propellers, the lower left side spar, and the firewall. Examination of the fuel system revealed that when the fuel shutoff valve was turned to off position, the valve assembly closed completely. When the fuel shutoff valve was opened, the valve opened halfway, while indicating completely open.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5545F
- Reported as
- Stearman A75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-4213
- Airframe hours
- 3,850
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985 Series, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Harbison
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2001 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- K2J0 · Panacea, FL
- Airport
- K2J0 · Wakulla County, runway 18, 3,500 × 150 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2001
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,934 total · 26 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- TLH, 29 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 28, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 136 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.