# NTSB CEN20CA303: Stearman N2S 3, N2158P, Jacksonville, AR, July 22, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: July 22, 2020, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC) - Place: Jacksonville, AR - Coordinates: 34.856109, -92.081108 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8561&lon=-92.0811&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 101663 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20CA303 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101663/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101663 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA303 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to adequately monitor his fuel quantity during flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing N2S-3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=1380146), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Boeing N2S-3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=1380146), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Boeing N2S-3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=1380146), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the pilot, the accident flight was the second flight of the day towing banners in his bi-plane. On the return leg, the engine lost all power and the pilot landed along a pipeline and impacted a post, which resulted in substantial damage to the upper and lower right wing. The pilot informed a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he may have run out of gas. The inspector drained about 1 quart of fuel from the gascolator and "less than a tablespoon" from the sump drains. There was no evidence of fuel in the fuel tanks. The tanks were not breached and the fuel lines appeared to be intact with no evidence of fuel leaks. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2158P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2158P), registered now, S/N 75-6861 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Stearman N2S 3 (N1) - Registry model: [Boeing N2S-3](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-n2s-3) (registry code 1380146) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 75-6861 - Year built: 1942 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Banner tow, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: 79AR, Jacksonville, AR - Destination: 79AR, Jacksonville, AR - Flight plan: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 50; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 2, unknown ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200722012159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200722012159A), Jul 22, 2020: Boeing N2S-3, Jacksonville, AR, Substantial damage. On 22 jul 2020, at approximately 14:45 (CST), N2158P departed Franke Field (79AR) to perform a banner tow operation over sherwood, north little rock, and… ## Other investigations on N2158P (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MKC89LA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MKC89LA023), Nov 13, 1988: Stearman B75N1 (N2158P), Benton, AR, substantial damage ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101663. 717 KB in all. - FAA inspector statment (item 1, PDF, 2 pages, 355 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10022586&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 2, PDF, 4 pages, 362 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10022869&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.