Boeing Stearman PT-17 accident near Anniston, Alabama, July 24, 2001
On July 24, 2001 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Boeing Stearman PT-17, registered N56920, was destroyed in an accident near Anniston, Alabama (Annistion Metro airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadvertent activation of the flight control gust locks by the pilot rated passenger that resulted in the loss of control inflight. Contributing was the pilot in commands failure to follow the airplane's pre-flight inspection check list.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2001 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Anniston, Alabama · Annistion Metro · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing Stearman PT-17
- Registration
- N56920 · registry record · serial 75-635
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to witnesses, the airplane was circling a golf course and then began to climb, shortly after climbing to an undetermined altitude, the airplane went into a nose down slow spin and impacted into a stand of trees. On July 22, 2001, the other two owners of the airplane had inspected the control surface lock (gust Lock) by moving it from the lock/unlock position several times. The reason for the inspection was in preparation for the upcoming annual inspection. According to the owners, they could not recall if they had stowed it in the unlock position when they had finished their inspection. During the course of flight control examination it was found that the handle for the operation of the control surface lock, which secures the rudder, ailerons and elevator, was installed in each cockpit, and was found in the locked position. The locking handle in the forward cockpit area was found separated from its mounting bracket. When placed in its proper orientation to the fracture surface it was found to be in the locked position. Injuries sustained by the pilot rated passengers left arm were consistant with the damage to the forward control lock. The aft control lock was found intact and in the down and locked position. According to the Pilots Flight Operating Instructions, during pre-flight inspection, the control lock should be in the lock position during startup and taxi, and disengaged and stowed into the unlock position just prior to takeoff.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 20,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 851 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 2000; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental R-670-5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANB Anniston AL at 3:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from ANB, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.