- Date
- October 7, 2000, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Warrenton, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1066MBoeing B75-N1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001007039029A
- Case key
- 50451
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 improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During touchdown, the airplane bounced twice on its main landing gear, and then suddenly pitched over. The pilot stated 'I believe I had inadvertently slid my feet too high on the rudder pedals and hit the brakes on the second bounce. The pilot also stated he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On October 7, 2000, about 1430 Eastern Daylight Time, a Boeing B75-N1 Stearman, N1066M, was substantially damaged while landing at the Flying Circus Aerodrome Airport (3VA3), Warrenton, Virginia. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he departed 3VA3, and flew to the Culpeper Regional Airport (CJR), Culpeper, Virginia, to perform a "fly-over and balloon-bust" as part of an air show. He then returned to 3VA3 for landing.
The airplane was landing on Runway 34, a 2,500 foot-long, 150 foot-wide, turf runway.
The pilot stated that after he observed two other airplanes land, he noted the winds were from the northwest, and elected to perform a "wheel landing," instead of the "normal 3-pt, stall landing." After touchdown, the airplane bounced twice on its main landing gear, and then suddenly pitched over. The pilot further stated "I believe I had inadvertently slid my feet too high on the rudder pedals and hit the brakes on the second bounce.
The pilot also stated he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane.
The pilot reported 872 hours of total flight experience, which included 600 hours accumulated in tail-wheeled airplanes, and 105 hours in the make and model of the accident airplane.
The wind reported at CJR, which was located about 8 miles, west-southwest of the accident site, at 1422, was from 350 degrees at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1066M
- Reported as
- Boeing B75-N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-7932
- Airframe hours
- 2,962
- Engine
- Continental W670, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard B. Roe
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 9, 2000 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- 3VA3 · VA
- Airport
- 3VA3 · Flying Circus, runway 34, 2,500 × 150 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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 872 total · 105 in this make and model · 716 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CJR, 8 nm away
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 N1066M · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.