20260509004279I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Boeing A75L300 · Salinas, CA · May 9, 2026

Date
May 9, 2026 · 12:05 local
Place
Salinas, CA
Airport
Salinas Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N52474
Reported as
Boeing A75L300
Reported engine
Lycoming R680E series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
6,150 total92 in this make and model18 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

METAR ksns 091853Z 31008KT 6SM hz clr 17/11 A3000 rmk A02 SLP16870160111

The stearman was instructed to make right traffic runway 26 and shortly after was cleared to land on runway 26. According to the pilot, the aircraft made a successful wheel landing. On rollout after the tail came down to the runway, he experienced a gust where the wing lifted. At low speed, the flight controls have less authority. The plane entered a ground loop and then regained its normal stance with wheels on the ground and wings level. The lower right wingtip of the biplane contacted the ground during the event. The aircraft taxied off the runway onto taxiway a.

As the FAA filed it

METAR KSNS 091853Z 31008KT 6SM HZ CLR 17/11 A3000 RMK A02 SLP16870160111

THE STEARMAN WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE RIGHT TRAFFIC RUNWAY 26 AND SHORTLY AFTER WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 26. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SUCCESSFUL WHEEL LANDING. ON ROLLOUT AFTER THE TAIL CAME DOWN TO THE RUNWAY, HE EXPERIENCED A GUST WHERE THE WING LIFTED. AT LOW SPEED, THE FLIGHT CONTROLS HAVE LESS AUTHORITY. THE PLANE ENTERED A GROUND LOOP AND THEN REGAINED ITS NORMAL STANCE WITH WHEELS ON THE GROUND AND WINGS LEVEL. THE LOWER RIGHT WINGTIP OF THE BIPLANE CONTACTED THE GROUND DURING THE EVENT. THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED OFF THE RUNWAY ONTO TAXIWAY A.