Accident Overview
On August 12, 2014, at 1152 eastern daylight time, a Christian Industries Pitts S2B, registration N50XV, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a beach following a total loss of engine power near Sarasota, Florida. The flight instructor and private pilot under instruction sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight, which had departed Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) about 1105. The airplane was registered to and operated by an individual under 14 CFR Part 91.
Flight Details
During an interview with a local law enforcement officer, the flight instructor stated that he performed a preflight inspection prior to the aerobatic instructional flight. He reported that he "thought he had about 15 gallons of fuel" and estimated engine fuel consumption at about 11 gallons per hour. After approximately 45 minutes of flight time, while returning to the base airport at an altitude of about 5,000 feet above ground level, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The flight instructor elected to land on a beach. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted in the water, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage.
Aircraft and Maintenance
According to FAA records, the airplane was issued a normal and aerobatic airworthiness certificate in 2013. It was powered by a Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5, 260 hp engine. Maintenance logbooks indicated that the most recent annual inspection was completed on August 22, 2013, at which time the airplane had accumulated 905 hours of total time in service.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks contained a total of one gallon of blue fluid, similar in color and smell to 100LL aviation fuel. Examination of the engine confirmed continuity of the powertrain from the propeller flange to the accessory section. Compression was confirmed on all cylinders using the thumb method, and the spark plugs exhibited normal wear. The fuel line to the engine was removed and found devoid of any fluid.
Pilot's Operating Handbook Information
According to the airplane's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), the aircraft was equipped with a 24-gallon main fuel tank and a 5-gallon auxiliary wing tank. The manual stated that the wing tank was not to be used during aerobatic operations. Additionally, the main fuselage tank contained 1 gallon of unusable fuel. The POH included a warning: "DO NOT PERFORM LOW ALTITUDE AEROBATICS WITH LESS THAN 1/4 OF FUEL IN FUSELAGE TANK."
Engine Manual Information
According to the engine manufacturer's Operator's Manual, the engine had an average fuel consumption of 15 gallons per hour while operating at 75% of rated power.