Stearman A75N1(PT17) N373VU

Summary

On 5 September 2020 at about 19:30 local time, a Stearman A75N1(PT17) registered N373VU was involved in an accident near Henderson, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 September 2020 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Henderson, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Rusk County (KRFI)

Coordinates

32.1533, -94.7994

Aircraft

Stearman A75N1(PT17)

Registration

N373VU

Category

Airplane

Year built

1940

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Henderson → Henderson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA383

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain proper airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall after takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After about 2.5 hours of uneventful flight, the pilot landed the airplane for a fuel stop. About 20 minutes later, the pilot took off to continue the trip. Upon takeoff, shortly after rotation, the pilot noted that the airplane seemed to be “mushy,” even though the engine was “screaming,” as if it were producing power. He stated that the airplane “seemed to be hanging from the propeller.” The pilot initiated a left turn to return to the runway and decided to level off. After leveling off, the tail of the airplane impacted trees and the airplane went straight down. The passenger got a glimpse at the instruments, and the airspeed indicator showed about “sixty” when the airplane hit the trees. A witness observed the airplane take off and climb to about 150 feet. He thought that the engine appeared to lose power, but it was still running. He saw the airplane turn to the left and appeared to stall. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies. One of the wooden propeller blades was shattered, consistent with rotation at impact. The wreckage was found amidst trees, nose down, consistent with a low inertia impact. It is likely that the pilot initiated a turn at too low an airspeed and the airplane stalled after takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.