- Date
- May 1, 1988, 15:44 local (22:44 UTC)
- Place
- Medford, OR
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N53125Stearman A-75-N1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880501011199A
- Case key
- 40810
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Plt performed a negative 'g' maneuver, estimated at 2 to 2.5 negative 'g' force, following which the engine lost power. A forced landing was accomplished in scrub trees. The engine is equipped with a float carburetor. There were indications that the cause of power loss was negative 'g' displacement of one or both floats in the carburetor bowl (stuck float), resulting in fuel starvation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53125
- Reported as
- Stearman A-75-N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-1773
- Airframe hours
- 5,392
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN3, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- George F. Demartini
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 2, 1987
- Departed
- MFR · Medford, OR
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,455 total · 475 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MFR, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.