Stearman E75 accident near Honea Path, South Carolina, September 21, 2020
On September 21, 2020 at about 11:49 pm local time, a 1943 Stearman E75, registered N1524M, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Honea Path, South Carolina (Ashley Fld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power due to the fatigue failure of an engine cylinder and the pilot’s subsequent decision to overfly several suitable forced-landing sites while attempting to return to the departure airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2020 · about 11:49 pm local time
- Place
- Honea Path, South Carolina · Ashley Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stearman E75 Undesignat, built 1943
- Registration
- N1524M · no longer on the register · serial 75-8060
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed and was in a continuous climb at 70 mph, at 2,500 rpm. The pilot observed a cylinder depart the engine and experienced a partial loss of engine power. A video of the event recorded the sound of the engine becoming quieter and the tachometer showed a continuous 1,000 rpm reading following the separation. The video captured the airplane maneuvering over open fields suitable for a forced landing as it descended back towards the departure airstrip. The recording ended before the airplane was destroyed by contact with trees and terrain 500 feet prior to the landing strip. Examination of the nine-cylinder radial engine revealed a separated cylinder, with all of its associated mounting studs fractured. Three of the mounting studs displayed features consistent with fatigue, likely due to inadequate torque applied at overhaul, which was completed less than 100 aircraft hours prior to the accident.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 440 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 919 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 2020; 97 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R680-13 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13/3, 3,000 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KAND, 18 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KAND 212356Z AUTO 06005KT 10SM CLR 16/08 A3034 RMK AO2 SLP270 T01610078 10217 20156 53002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on June 16, 2022. 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 Memo for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Interview Summaries | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statements | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Video File | video | View Download |
| 5 | Materials Laboratory | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.