- Date
- September 3, 2017, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Oshkosh, WI
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N52813Boeing A75N1(PT17)
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 27, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170903017569A
- Case key
- 95976
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 overapplication of the brakes, which resulted in the biplane coming to rest inverted.
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 tailwheel-equipped biplane reported that, during the landing roll, about halfway down the grass runway, the biplane "very quickly" inverted. After exiting the biplane, he examined the runway and saw where the propeller had dug in and viewed skid marks in the grass "where it was obvious that the brakes had been applied and locked up." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 1 nautical mile from the accident site reported, about the time of the accident, wind from 230° at 7 knots, gusting to 14 knots. The pilot landed on runway 31.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane reported that, during the landing roll, about half way down the grass runway, the biplane "very quickly" became upside down. After exiting the biplane, he examined the runway and saw where the propeller had dug in and viewed skid marks in the grass "where it was obvious that the brakes had been applied and locked up." Subsequently, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 1 nautical mile from the accident site reported, about the time of the accident, the wind was 230° at 7 knots, gusting to 14 knots. The pilot landed on runway 31.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52813
- Reported as
- Boeing A75N1(PT17) (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-394
- Built
- 1940
- Airframe hours
- 7,121
- Engine
- Continental W-670-6N, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 7, 2017
- Departed
- WS17 · Oshkosh, WI
- Destination
- WS17 · Oshkosh, WI
- Airport
- WS17 · Pioneer, runway 31, 1,988 × 130 ft, grass/turf
- 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
- 56
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 23, 2016
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,378 total · 34 in this make and model · 2,485 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KOSH, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 31, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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 N52813 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.