STEARMAN B75

Full Narrative

On February 23, 2018, about 1415 eastern standard time, a Boeing B75N1, N62438, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida. The pilot was not injured, and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that, before departure, the airplane had 17 gallons of fuel for the flight to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH), Zephyrhills, Florida, where he planned to stop to refuel. He added that, after 45 minutes of flight and while the airplane was descending through about 1,800 ft above ground level, the engine lost power. While on final approach and about 3 miles from the airport, he realized that the airplane would not reach the runway, so he chose to conduct an emergency landing on a road. Just before touchdown, the right wing impacted a traffic light pole and then the airplane impacted the ground.
Examination of the airplane revealed that the engine and the right upper and lower wings had separated from the airplane. Examination of the engine revealed that the propeller was still attached to the engine and that the propeller blades were fractured. The No. 4 cylinder exhibited impact damage, and the engine crankshaft could not be rotated. No debris was found in the carburetor floats and bowl. A small amount of debris was found in the carburetor fuel screen. The fuel sump was still attached to the engine, and debris was found in the fuel sump screen. No fuel was found in the fuel system.