What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Caught left wing in grass on edge runway. Ground looped. Damaged prop and wing. (.4)the pilot of the antique biplane stated that he preferred to land on grass when possible, so he elected to land on the 800 foot grass overrun area of the 1965 foot runway. From the air, the freshly mowed overrun looked acceptable, with the eight to nine foot high stand of scotch bloom showing as a dark green from the air and appearing to be grass. He slipped to a landing, touched down straight and was tracking near the middle of the mowed area when his right wing tip caught in the scotch bloom. The vegetation pulled the aircraft off the right side of the runway, and the lower left wing impacted the ground, causing substantial damage. According to FAA inspectors, the first signatures of impact were 62 feet from the near end of the runway. The airplane came to a stop 247 feet from the near end of the runway. The width of the mowed area of the runway was 49.5 feet, at the time the FAA inspector checked it. The pilot stated that the mowed overrun of 800 feet was mowed 25 feet wide up to the edge of the eight to nine feet high s crub brush at the time of the accident, and that his airplane had a 28 foot wing span. (-23) while landing aircraft, right wing contacted tall grass. Landing on right wing pulled aircraft around with enough force to cause left wing to contact ground. One prop blade was broken (wooden blades) at the time left wing contacted the ground.
As the FAA filed it
CAUGHT LEFT WING IN GRASS ON EDGE RUNWAY. GROUND LOOPED. DAMAGED PROP AND WING. (.4)THE PILOT OF THE ANTIQUE BIPLANE STATED THAT HE PREFERRED TO LAND ON GRASS WHEN POSSIBLE, SO HE ELECTED TO LAND ON THE 800 FOOT GRASS OVERRUN AREA OF THE 1965 FOOT RUNWAY. FROM THE AIR, THE FRESHLY MOWED OVERRUN LOOKED ACCEPTABLE, WITH THE EIGHT TO NINE FOOT HIGH STAND OF SCOTCH BLOOM SHOWING AS A DARK GREEN FROM THE AIR AND APPEARING TO BE GRASS. HE SLIPPED TO A LANDING, TOUCHED DOWN STRAIGHT AND WAS TRACKING NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE MOWED AREA WHEN HIS RIGHT WING TIP CAUGHT IN THE SCOTCH BLOOM. THE VEGETATION PULLED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE LOWER LEFT WING IMPACTED THE GROUND, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ACCORDING TO FAA INSPECTORS, THE FIRST SIGNATURES OF IMPACT WERE 62 FEET FROM THE NEAR END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP 247 FEET FROM THE NEAR END OF THE RUNWAY. THE WIDTH OF THE MOWED AREA OF THE RUNWAY WAS 49.5 FEET, AT THE TIME THE FAA INSPECTOR CHECKED IT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE MOWED OVERRUN OF 800 FEET WAS MOWED 25 FEET WIDE UP TO THE EDGE OF THE EIGHT TO NINE FEET HIGH S CRUB BRUSH AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND THAT HIS AIRPLANE HAD A 28 FOOT WING SPAN. (-23) WHILE LANDING AIRCRAFT, RIGHT WING CONTACTED TALL GRASS. LANDING ON RIGHT WING PULLED AIRCRAFT AROUND WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO CAUSE LEFT WING TO CONTACT GROUND. ONE PROP BLADE WAS BROKEN (WOODEN BLADES) AT THE TIME LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.