Stearman E75 accident near Oakland, California, October 11, 1998
On October 11, 1998 at about 9:08 pm local time, a Stearman E75, registered N770WM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oakland, California (Oakland airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the pilot's inadvertent entry into a negative 'g' condition, which induced a temporary interruption of the fuel supply.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1998 · about 9:08 pm local time
- Place
- Oakland, California · Oakland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stearman E75
- Registration
- N770WM · no longer on the register · serial 75-8603
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot completed three banner tow flights in the airplane on the day of the accident. He refueled between the second and third flights. The pilot said the engine ran perfect during takeoff. He started a climb of 30 degrees and at 400 feet he initiated a right 270-degree turn and leveled off. During the level off, power was reduced to 24 inches of manifold pressure. During the turn the pilot heard a pop and the engine stopped producing power. He immediately lowered the nose and headed for the only open area he could see, a concrete pad in a construction area. He pumped the throttle several times and verified the gas was on, but was unable to restart the engine. As the airplane neared the touchdown point, a tractor-trailer truck moved in-between the airplane and the touchdown point and the airplane collided with the truck. The operator observed the takeoff and heard the engine quit. Then he heard several 'blurps' and assumed the pilot was moving the throttle to get the engine to restart. He also noticed fuel coming out of the center section vent line when the nose was lowered and opined that during the pushover to level flight, the pilot entered a negative 'g' condition. No discrepancies were found during examination of the airframe or engine.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,530 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 278 in the last 90 days; 97 in the last 30 days; 2,316 as pilot in command; 308 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,244 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 7, 1998; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OAK at 9:07 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,366 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from OAK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.