What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 16, 2016, about 1935 eastern daylight time, a Great Lakes 2T-1A-2, two place tandem bi-plane with a standard category certificate, N3771F, incurred substantial damage after undershooting runway 9, at the Treasure Coast Airpark (FL37), in Port st Lucie, Florida. The pilot stated he landed on the grass strip and veered onto a non-movement area striking a culvert where the left gear collapsed, causing severe damage to the propeller, left landing gear leg, antennas and right lower wing braces and ribs. The aircraft recently purchased left ft. lauderdale (fxe), departing around 6PM with a 7PM arrival around dusk; whereas this may have been a contributing factor as well as, landing at an unfamiliar airport but, this cannot be substantiated. The airport is private and located in a small fly in community that has an east-west grass runway. The pilot stated on arrival he identified both a paved surface as well as the grass strip and recognized the x?s prohibited landing on the road surface and later determined the area described was a taxiway. This particular aircraft is flown from the back seat therefore, limits forward view in the landing configuration. The PIC also stated that what he thought was the runway appeared in good order, no standing water was evident so, began his flare and landed normal. The aircraft tracked straight, slowing normally then somehow veered impacting the drainage pipe (culvert). Ground scars show the aircraft traveled forward as stated. The ground appeared moist however; no saturation of standing water was evident and, was not a contributing factor.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2016, ABOUT 1935 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A GREAT LAKES 2T-1A-2, TWO PLACE TANDEM BI-PLANE WITH A STANDARD CATEGORY CERTIFICATE, N3771F, INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER UNDERSHOOTING RUNWAY 9, AT THE TREASURE COAST AIRPARK (FL37), IN PORT ST LUCIE, FLORIDA. THE PILOT STATED HE LANDED ON THE GRASS STRIP AND VEERED ONTO A NON-MOVEMENT AREA STRIKING A CULVERT WHERE THE LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED, CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, LEFT LANDING GEAR LEG, ANTENNAS AND RIGHT LOWER WING BRACES AND RIBS. THE AIRCRAFT RECENTLY PURCHASED LEFT FT. LAUDERDALE (FXE), DEPARTING AROUND 6PM WITH A 7PM ARRIVAL AROUND DUSK; WHEREAS THIS MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR AS WELL AS, LANDING AT AN UNFAMILIAR AIRPORT BUT, THIS CANNOT BE SUBSTANTIATED. THE AIRPORT IS PRIVATE AND LOCATED IN A SMALL FLY IN COMMUNITY THAT HAS AN EAST-WEST GRASS RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED ON ARRIVAL HE IDENTIFIED BOTH A PAVED SURFACE AS WELL AS THE GRASS STRIP AND RECOGNIZED THE X?S PROHIBITED LANDING ON THE ROAD SURFACE AND LATER DETERMINED THE AREA DESCRIBED WAS A TAXIWAY. THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT IS FLOWN FROM THE BACK SEAT THEREFORE, LIMITS FORWARD VIEW IN THE LANDING CONFIGURATION. THE PIC ALSO STATED THAT WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE RUNWAY APPEARED IN GOOD ORDER, NO STANDING WATER WAS EVIDENT SO, BEGAN HIS FLARE AND LANDED NORMAL. THE AIRCRAFT TRACKED STRAIGHT, SLOWING NORMALLY THEN SOMEHOW VEERED IMPACTING THE DRAINAGE PIPE (CULVERT). GROUND SCARS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED FORWARD AS STATED. THE GROUND APPEARED MOIST HOWEVER; NO SATURATION OF STANDING WATER WAS EVIDENT AND, WAS NOT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.