- Date
- September 16, 2016, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Port St. Lucie, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3771FGreat Lakes 2T1A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160916015659A
- Case key
- 94080
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 avoid the drainage pipe during the landing roll on a private grass airstrip. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's reduced forward view from the rear seat.
Findings · 3
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 pilot of the tandem-seat, tailwheel equipped biplane reported that he was flying from the rear seat which limits his forward view, "especially in the landing configuration". He further reported that during the landing roll on a private grass airstrip, the biplane impacted a drainage pipe, which resulted in a collapsed left landing gear and substantial damage to both lower wings and the lower right aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tandem-seat, tailwheel equipped biplane reported that he was flying from the rear seat which limits his forward view, "especially in the landing configuration". He further reported that during the landing roll on a private grass airstrip, the biplane impacted a drainage pipe, which resulted in a collapsed left landing gear and substantial damage to both lower wings and the lower right aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3771F
- Reported as
- Great Lakes 2T1A (2)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0764
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 678
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-B1G6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 2016
- Departed
- FXE · Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Destination
- FL37 · Port St. Lucie, FL
- Airport
- FL37 · Treasure Coast Airpark, runway 09, 4,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2016
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 14,500 total · 65 in this make and model · 14,300 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KSUA, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 746 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.