Pitts S-2B N917JD
6 April 1996 · Freehold Twsp, New Jersey, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 6 April 1996 at about 21:10 local time, a Pitts S-2B registered N917JD, operated by John Mullaney, was involved in an accident near Freehold Twsp, New Jersey, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Freehold Twsp, New Jersey, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-2B
- Registration
- N917JD
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- John Mullaney
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Old Bridge → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC96FA084
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's improper fuel management which resulted in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion, and his failure to maintain airspeed during a forced landing which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
After being airborne on a local flight for what the pilot estimated as 20 minutes, the engine lost power. Witnesses observed the airplane in a forced landing, about 20 feet above the ground, when the nose suddenly dropped and the airplane struck the ground in a nose low attitude. Less than a quart of fuel was found in the fuel tanks and fuel sump. No fuel was found in the fuel lines, and there was no evidence of a fuel spill. The airplane had two fuel quantity measuring systems. One was electronic and recorded fuel used. The other measured quantity, and consisted of a sight gage. The pilot reported that the fuel tank was 60 to 70 percent full (13.8 to 16.1 gallons) on preflight. The sight gage indicates more fuel on the ground than in flight. According to the flight manual, the sight gage is calibrated for level flight only. A production test pilot reported that the airplane's nose will drop straight ahead in a coordinated stall.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Pitts S-2B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 1996 | Pitts S-2B | Boca Raton, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Apr 1995 | Pitts S-2B | Naples, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Aug 1995 | Pitts S-2B | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1997 | Pitts S-2B | Mountain View, Arkansas, United States | Ronald K. Miller | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 1995 | Pitts S-2B | Ottawa, Kansas, United States | Herbert R. Hodge | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Dec 1997 | Pitts S-2B | Bozeman, Montana, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 1996 | Beechcraft V35 | Williamstown, New Jersey, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 18 Jul 1996 | Champion 7GCBC | Farmingdale, New Jersey, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Jul 1996 | Piper PA-28-181 | Sea Bright, New Jersey, United States | Albert J. Battifarano | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Sep 1996 | Piper PA-28-140 | Frankford Twnsp, New Jersey, United States | Robert S. Golabek | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Jan 1996 | Cessna 150M | Readington, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 1996 | Cessna 172N | Manville, New Jersey, United States | Tristate Airways | Minor injuries | - |