What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description of the deviation:
While operating a stearman airplane on a VFR flight plan and upon landing on the grass strip rwy 16 at the Red Lodge, MT airport kred the pilot in command lost control of the aircraft after touch down resulting in a ground loop into a barbed wire fence brace paralell to the runway resulting in substatial damage to the prop, left wings and fuselage of the aircraft.
Causaul and/or contributing factors:
The pilot stated that “I had a very stable approach and smooth landing. Everything was going as planned. The aircraft was slowing and the tail was ready to come down. I let the tail fall to ground and was preparing move my feet up to the brakes. A gust from the sw pushed the tail and I countered will full right rudder. It wasn’t enough and we departed the grass runway. It was a classic stearman ground loop!! There was nothing to do at this point but to try and keep the stearman upright and on its main wheels. I was able to do that with some very aggressive differential braking and and rudder inputs. We came to a stop. There were no injuries, fuel leaks or fire.” the investigation found no evidence contrary to the pilot’s explanation of the contributing factor of a wind gust that could not be adequately compensated for with proper control inputs.
No ATC actions contributory to the event.
No recommendations for systemic corrective action.
Action taken to correct problem and prevent reoccurance:
Compliance action – counseling. The pilot was counseled on the tendancies of conventional gear aircraft on unimproved surfaces and the effects of wind on take-off, landing and ground operations in these aircraft.
Sas id: NM05202302008
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVIATION:
WHILE OPERATING A STEARMAN AIRPLANE ON A VFR FLIGHT PLAN AND UPON LANDING ON THE GRASS STRIP RWY 16 AT THE RED LODGE, MT AIRPORT KRED THE PILOT IN COMMAND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER TOUCH DOWN RESULTING IN A GROUND LOOP INTO A BARBED WIRE FENCE BRACE PARALELL TO THE RUNWAY RESULTING IN SUBSTATIAL DAMAGE TO THE PROP, LEFT WINGS AND FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT.
CAUSAUL AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
THE PILOT STATED THAT “I HAD A VERY STABLE APPROACH AND SMOOTH LANDING. EVERYTHING WAS GOING AS PLANNED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWING AND THE TAIL WAS READY TO COME DOWN. I LET THE TAIL FALL TO GROUND AND WAS PREPARING MOVE MY FEET UP TO THE BRAKES. A GUST FROM THE SW PUSHED THE TAIL AND I COUNTERED WILL FULL RIGHT RUDDER. IT WASN’T ENOUGH AND WE DEPARTED THE GRASS RUNWAY. IT WAS A CLASSIC STEARMAN GROUND LOOP!! THERE WAS NOTHING TO DO AT THIS POINT BUT TO TRY AND KEEP THE STEARMAN UPRIGHT AND ON ITS MAIN WHEELS. I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT WITH SOME VERY AGGRESSIVE DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING AND AND RUDDER INPUTS. WE CAME TO A STOP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, FUEL LEAKS OR FIRE.” THE INVESTIGATION FOUND NO EVIDENCE CONTRARY TO THE PILOT’S EXPLANATION OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR OF A WIND GUST THAT COULD NOT BE ADEQUATELY COMPENSATED FOR WITH PROPER CONTROL INPUTS.
NO ATC ACTIONS CONTRIBUTORY TO THE EVENT.
NO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CORRECTIVE ACTION.
ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT PROBLEM AND PREVENT REOCCURANCE:
COMPLIANCE ACTION – COUNSELING. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED ON THE TENDANCIES OF CONVENTIONAL GEAR AIRCRAFT ON UNIMPROVED SURFACES AND THE EFFECTS OF WIND ON TAKE-OFF, LANDING AND GROUND OPERATIONS IN THESE AIRCRAFT.
SAS ID: NM05202302008
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.