Summary
On September 04, 2010, a Stearman E75 (N1370V) was involved in an incident near Jackson, GA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's diverted attention toward an unsecured engine cowl door after takeoff which resulted in his failure to maintain airspeed and altitude. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane.
According to the pilot, after takeoff, at an altitude of 100 feet, the engine’s right side cowling door became unsecured. He stated that the door was flopping wildly and "banging into the air intake on top of the cowling. As the pilot began to maneuver toward the airport to land, the cowling started to move to the closed position, and the pilot attempted to further close the door with some slight rudder input. The pilot stated that he was fixated on keeping the cowling closed and let the airspeed slow to the point that the airplane started to sink. The pilot applied full power to recover, but did not have enough altitude to regain flying speed. The airplane impacted trees, resulting in substantial damage to the upper and lower wings.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA10CA465. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1370V.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's diverted attention toward an unsecured engine cowl door after takeoff which resulted in his failure to maintain airspeed and altitude. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
According to the pilot, after takeoff, at an altitude of 100 feet, the engine’s right side cowling door became unsecured. He stated that the door was flopping wildly and "banging into the air intake on top of the cowling. As the pilot began to maneuver toward the airport to land, the cowling started to move to the closed position, and the pilot attempted to further close the door with some slight rudder input. The pilot stated that he was fixated on keeping the cowling closed and let the airspeed slow to the point that the airplane started to sink. The pilot applied full power to recover, but did not have enough altitude to regain flying speed. The airplane impacted trees, resulting in substantial damage to the upper and lower wings. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the cowling camlocks and found them to be in good condition.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA10CA465