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 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2008 · about 4:45 pm local time · cases in 2008
- 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 other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Malfunction other cases naming the engine
- 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 NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3440 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3440 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Stearman Aircraft C3 17 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Stearman Aircraft 33 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P & W R-985 SERIES 1,593 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Aurora State Airport · departed from
- Tri-Cities Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,709 since 1982 · 360 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,570 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N3440 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA08LA206.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.