Pitts S-2B accident near Freehold Twsp, New Jersey, April 6, 1996
On April 6, 1996 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Pitts S-2B, registered N917JD, was destroyed in an accident near Freehold Twsp, New Jersey. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper fuel management which resulted in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion, and his failure to maintain airspeed during a forced landing which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1996 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Freehold Twsp, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-2B · all S-2Bs on the register
- Registration
- N917JD · no longer on the register · serial 5313
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After being airborne on a local flight for what the pilot estimated as 20 minutes, the engine lost power. Witnesses observed the airplane in a forced landing, about 20 feet above the ground, when the nose suddenly dropped and the airplane struck the ground in a nose low attitude. Less than a quart of fuel was found in the fuel tanks and fuel sump. No fuel was found in the fuel lines, and there was no evidence of a fuel spill. The airplane had two fuel quantity measuring systems. One was electronic and recorded fuel used. The other measured quantity, and consisted of a sight gage. The pilot reported that the fuel tank was 60 to 70 percent full (13.8 to 16.1 gallons) on preflight. The sight gage indicates more fuel on the ground than in flight. According to the flight manual, the sight gage is calibrated for level flight only. A production test pilot reported that the airplane's nose will drop straight ahead in a coordinated stall.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,090 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,873 as pilot in command; 134 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 66 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 1995; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3N6 Old Bridge NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from TTN, 26 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.