Stearman Pilot Found Guilty of False Statements in Water Crash

Former airline pilot admits lying to federal authorities regarding the Oklahoma biplane accident in summer 2022.

Thursday, June 06, 2024 at 11:04 AM ET

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The Oklahoma Highway Patrol recovered the Boeing Stearman PT-17 biplane from Keystone Lake on August 28, 2022. [Courtesy: Oklahoma Highway Patrol]

Key Takeaways:

Former airline pilot Bruce Forbes admitted lying to federal authorities about a 2022 Stearman biplane crash, confessing he was flying low over a lake ("water dancing") and struck power lines, contrary to his initial claim of engine trouble.
Forbes stated he lied to avoid being found flying unsafely and to ensure insurance payments, now facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty to misrepresenting facts and obstructing government proceedings.
The passenger, Baily Nevill, corroborated Forbes's reckless flying, detailing that he attempted to abandon her in the sinking aircraft after she struggled to unfasten her seatbelt without a prior safety briefing.

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A former airline pilot has admitted lying to federal authorities regarding the crash of a Stearman biplane he was flying with a passenger in Oklahoma in summer 2022.

Former United Airlines pilot Bruce Forbes, 66 at the time, initially told authorities the Stearman experienced engine trouble on a sightseeing flight over a lake and he struck power lines while he was trying to troubleshoot the engine issues. On Monday, he pled guilty in federal court to misrepresenting the facts.