- Date
- August 30, 2018, 19:00 local (Aug 31, 2018, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kenosha, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N64604Stearman A75N1(PT17)
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180830012589A
- Case key
- 98209
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failed retaining bolt and cracked backing plate, which resulted in a shift of the brake lining to contact the brake drum and a subsequent wheel lock when the brakes were applied.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airline transport pilot had performed three touch-and-go maneuvers without braking. On the fourth and last planned landing roll about 30 mph, the airplane experienced an excessive tailwheel shimmy. About 25 mph, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left main wheel/brake assembly was locked; thus, the wheel/tire could not be rotated. Partial disassembly of the wheel/brake assembly revealed a failed retaining bolt for the brake backing plate and a crack in the backing plate. The bolt likely broke off and became lodged in the assembly; thus, it is likely the failed retaining bolt and cracked backing plate resulted in a shift of the brake lining to contact the brake drum and led to a subsequent wheel lock when the brakes were applied.
Factual narrative
On August 30, 2018, about 1900 central daylight time, a Stearman A75N1 (PT17) airplane, sustained substantial damage when nosed over during the landing roll at the Kenosha Regional Airport (ENW), Kenosha, Wisconsin. The airline transport pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight departed ENW about 1830. According to the pilot, he had performed three touch and go maneuvers without the use of any braking. On the fourth and last planned landing roll out about 30 mph, the airplane experienced an excessive tail wheel shimmy due to a left brake assembly issue. About 25 mph, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the left main wheel/brake assembly was locked, and the wheel/tire could not be rotated. Partial disassembly of the wheel/brake assembly revealed a failed retaining bolt for the brake backing plate, and a crack in the backing plate. The pilot reported the specified brake lining to drum clearance was .008/.010 inches. The most recent annual inspection was completed on September 1, 2017, about 20 hours prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64604
- Reported as
- Stearman A75N1(PT17) (3)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-6811
- Built
- 1942
- Airframe hours
- 5,561
- Engine
- Continental W670-6A, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2017
- Departed
- ENW · Kenosha, WI
- Destination
- ENW · Kenosha, WI
- Airport
- ENW · Kenosha Regional Airport, runway 07R, 3,302 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 8, 2018
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 22,000 total · 100 in this make and model · 16,000 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 0.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- ENW, 5 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N64604 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.