- Date
- April 26, 2019, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gila Bend, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N67823Stearman A75N1(PT17)
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190426011459A
- Case key
- 99396
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 directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a ditch.
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 biplane reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane veered right, exited the runway to the right, and the left wingtip impacted a ditch. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the left, lower wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The biplane pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane veered right, exited the runway to the right, and the left-wing tip impacted a ditch. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the left, lower wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67823
- Reported as
- Stearman A75N1(PT17) (3)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-7365
- Built
- 1943
- Airframe hours
- 5,134.19
- Engine
- Lycoming R680, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Columbia Asset Trust Corp Trustee
- Registered owner
- Columbia Asset Trust Corp Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 28, 2018
- Departed
- BLH · Blythe, CA
- Destination
- E63 · Gila Bend, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- E63 · Gila Bend Muni, runway 22, 5,200 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 9,020 total · 80 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Observed at
- KBXK, 27 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.1 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.