Pitts S2 accident near Fort Worth, Texas, April 10, 2020
On April 10, 2020 at about 10:44 pm local time, a 1987 Pitts S2, registered N487J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Fort Worth, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel level, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2020 · about 10:44 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S2 B, built 1987 · all S2s on the register
- Registration
- N487J · no longer on the register · serial 5127
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during his preflight inspection, he determined that the fuel tank was about 1/2 full (12 gallons). After the airplane departed the airport and reached about 1,300 ft above ground level, the engine lost all power. The pilot turned back to the airport and chose a field for a forced landing. The airplane landed hard, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane then flipped over and came to rest upside down, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel. Following the accident, the pilot stated that he realized he had misread the fuel gauge and that there were only about 3 gallons of fuel onboard at takeoff. Based on this information, it is likely the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.
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
What happened, in order
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Hard landing during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer, military, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 6, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 2020; 1,951 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 (piston); 365 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Forth Worth TX at 10:40 pm
- Destination: CPT Cleburne TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from KNFW, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 9, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo of Airplane at Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Correspondence with FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N487J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.