Aviat Pitts S-2B accident near Severance, Colorado, March 5, 2006
On March 5, 2006 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Aviat Pitts S-2B, registered N221RS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Severance, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fuel exhaustion and the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane. Contributing factors were the inaccurate fuel flow reading and the pilot's incorrect fuel consumption calculations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2006 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Severance, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat Pitts S-2B
- Registration
- N221RS · no longer on the register · serial 5318
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane's main 23-gallon fuel tank was serviced to capacity. The pilot flew one passenger for about 30 minutes, returned to the airport, dropped off the passenger, boarded a second passenger, and took off again. They had been flying for about the same period of time when the engine suddenly began to run rough, then lost power. He made a forced landing in an open field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over, crushing the vertical stabilizer and breaking a rib in the upper left wing. The digital fuel flow gauge indicated 15.5 gallons of fuel had been consumed, and 7.5 gallons remained. Some fuel was leaking from the tank. The pilot said it looked and smelled like kerosene. The fixed base operator (FBO) was notified and fuel that had been sumped that day from the fuel trucks and fuel farm were quarantined. The salvage crew that recovered the airplane said it appeared the fuel may have mixed with smoke oil, giving the appearance and smell of kerosene. The airplane was equipped with a smoke-generating system. Neither the fuel nor smoke oil tanks had been compromised. All supply lines were intact and securely fastened. Less than a quart of fuel was recovered from the fuel tank. Thirteen jars of fuel that had been sumped from the FBO's fuel trucks and from the fuel farm were retrieved and examined. They were all clear, blue (similar to 100-LL), and appeared to be free of contaminants. According to the manufacturer, the engine will burn 17.4 gallons per hour (gph) at 75 percent power which is 195 horsepower (hp) or 2,450 revolutions per minute (rpm), when leaned for best power. At full (100 percent) power, or 260 hp and 2,700 rpm, the engine will burn 21.5 gph. The pilot subsequently submitted a statement, indicating he had "run out of gas."
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,003 hours in all; 310 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 810 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2005; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,625 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FNL Fort Collins CO at 8:45 pm
- Destination: FNL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from FNL, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.