Boeing Stearman E75 N5263N

Summary

On 7 May 2006 at about 15:00 local time, a Boeing Stearman E75 registered N5263N was involved in an accident near Show Low, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 May 2006 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Show Low, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Show Low (SOW)

Coordinates

34.2758, -110.0092

Aircraft

Boeing Stearman E75

Registration

N5263N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Show Low → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX06LA164

Nobody was injured.

the collapse of the air intake duct resulted in a loss of engine power. A factor was the uneven terrain in the landing area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained damage during an off airport forced landing following a loss of engine power in the takeoff initial climb. The pilot reported that the engine start and run-up were normal, and he flew off at 65 mph. The airplane climbed to 300 to 400 feet, and he pulled the propeller back for noise abatement. He noticed that the airspeed was low, so he lowered the nose, checked the trim, throttle, mixture, and made sure that the magneto switch was on both. He pushed the propeller control full forward, but the airplane was still not climbing. He maintained altitude, airspeed, and heading. He wanted to make sure that he cleared power lines and buildings at the departure end of the runway. He hoped to gain enough airspeed and lift to reach alfalfa fields, or make a slow turn back to the airport. The engine failed to generate enough power to maintain flight, and the situation became worse the longer he was airborne. With diminishing altitude and airspeed, he became concerned about a possible stall/spin. He slowly banked toward a field, and pushed the nose over to maintain airspeed. He landed in terrain about 300 yards from the airport. The landing gear separated and the lower wings sustained substantial damage. The FAA inspector who supervised the post accident wreckage examination reported that there was a patch around the air intake duct. After lifting the patch partially off, he noted that the duct's inner support wire had collapsed. The duct collapsed inward as well. He opined that this restricted the air flow, and enriched the fuel mixture, which resulted in the loss of power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.