- Date
- July 25, 2015, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Shelter Island, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5820VBoeing B75N1
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150725015129A
- Case key
- 91674
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 pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing roll, resulting in a nose over.
Findings · 4
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
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped bi-plane, during the landing roll, landing as number three in a flight of three, on a turf runway, he lost sight of the airplane ahead, he relaxed the stick, the tail came up, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that he was unable to see beyond mid-field due to the crown in the runway, and "became concerned with the actual location of the other aircraft." The pilot reported that he allowed the airplane's tail to rise six to eight inches, and as he applied the brakes, the center of gravity shifted forward due to the 40 gallons of fuel in the bi-plane's upper wing. The airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the rudder, empennage, and top wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped bi-plane, during the landing roll, as number three in a flight of three, on a turf runway, he lost sight of the airplane ahead, he relaxed the stick, the tail came up, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that he was unable to see beyond mid-field due to the crown in the runway, and "became concerned with the actual location of the other aircraft." The pilot reported that he allowed the airplane's tail to rise six to eight inches, and as he applied the brakes, the center of gravity shifted forward due to the 40 gallons of fuel in the bi-plane's upper wing. The airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the rudder, empennage, and top wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5820V
- Reported as
- Boeing B75N1 (N1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-7728
- Built
- 1943
- Airframe hours
- 3,844
- Engine
- Continental W670, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fritts Robert E
- Registered owner
- Fritts Robert E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2015
- Departed
- HWV · Brookhaven, NY
- Destination
- 49NY · Shelter Island, NY
- Airport
- 49NY · Westmoreland, runway 3, 1,400 × 200 ft, grass/turf
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
- 88
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2015
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,141 total · 1,141 in this make and model · 3,141 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KMTP, 18 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 17, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 737 KB 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.