Stearman Aircraft C3-B accident near Stevenson, Washington, September 20, 2008
On September 20, 2008 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Stearman Aircraft C3-B, registered N3440, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Stevenson, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation from a piece of disintegrating gasket material that was blocking the fuel jet. Also causal was the failure of maintenance personnel to verify the condition of the gaskets when the carburetor was examined prior to installation on the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2008 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Stevenson, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stearman Aircraft C3-B · all C3-Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3440 · registry record · serial 104
- 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 he had completed a cross-country flight reenacting the airmail route. During the flight, the pilot had applied carburetor heat, but the engine lost power. He attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful; he then performed a forced landing in a field. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a tree and sustained substantial damage. While the pilot had purchased the engine and carburetor that were over 60 years old, they were in new condition and had been in storage. A maintenance facility bench tested the carburetor and it checked within limits, but due to its pristine condition it was not disassembled prior to installation on the engine. The carburetor operated for 110 hours before disintegrating gasket material entered into the main fuel jet and disrupted the fuel flow, which allowed the engine to lose power. Postaccident examination of the carburetor showed that after the gasket material was removed from the jet the carburetor operated normally.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › (general) › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,235 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 24, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,290 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2008; 110 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P & W R-985 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UAO Portland OR at 4:00 pm
- Destination: PSC Pascoe WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from CZK, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N3440 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA08LA206.