# NTSB SEA01LA162: Boeing Stearman A75N1, N53411, Shelton, WA, August 29, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 29, 2001, 11:40 local (18:40 UTC) - Place: Shelton, WA - Coordinates: 47.230491, -123.200149 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.2305&lon=-123.2001&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 17, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Seattle FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 53151 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA01LA162 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/53151/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA01LA162 ## Probable cause The binding/grabbing of the right main gear braking system during the landing roll. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Nose over, landing - roll - landing gear,normal brake system - binding(mechanical) (cause) ## Analysis After an uneventful touchdown, the tailwheel-equipped aircraft began veering to the right during the landing roll. Although the pilot applied full left rudder, the aircraft did not respond. The pilot therefore applied partial left braking along with the full left rudder deflection. Although this caused the aircraft to begin tracking straight, the tail lifted off the ground and it began to nose over. When it started to nose over, the pilot released the brake application, but the aircraft continued over onto its back. It was later determined that the right brake was dragging/binding during the landing roll, and the amount of left brake necessary to keep the aircraft tracking straight resulted in the aircraft nosing over. ## Factual narrative On August 29, 2001, approximately 1140 Pacific daylight time, a Boeing Stearman A75N1, N53411, nosed over while landing on the grass alongside the asphalt runway at Sanderson Field, Shelton, Washington. The pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which departed the same location about 40 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. There was no report of an ELT activation. According to the pilot, who was landing the tailwheel-equipped aircraft in calm wind conditions, the initial touchdown was uneventful, as was the beginning of the landing roll. However, during the rollout, the aircraft began to "...veer to the right." The pilot attempted to correct the situation by applying left rudder, but the aircraft did not respond to the full-left rudder input. He therefore added left brake application to the left rudder input that he was already applying. Although he was able to keep the aircraft from veering any further to the right by application of both left rudder and left brake, this resulted in the aircraft's tail lifting off the runway, and it began to nose over. The pilot therefore released his brake application, but the aircraft continued over onto its back. According to the pilot, after the accident, he checked the brakes, and the right side was considerably warmer than the left. The pilot also said that when he tried to tow the aircraft back to its hangar after the accident, he had trouble moving it until he backed off the adjustment of the right brake. The FAA Airworthiness Inspector who looked at the aircraft was unable to determine if there were any anomalies in the braking system, and because the brake adjustment had been backed off on the right side, he was unable to determine if the brakes had been out of adjustment. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N53411](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N53411-2006-09-22), registration cancelled 2006-09-22, S/N 75-678, built 1941 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing Stearman A75N1 - Registry model: [Boeing A75N1(PT17)](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-a75n1-pt17) (registry code 1380134) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming R680](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-r680) (registry code 41540, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 75678 - Airframe hours: 2422 - Engines: Lycoming R680-17 225 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: David W. Tuck - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 17, 2001, 6 hours before - Departed: SHN, Shelton, WA - Airport: SHN, Sanderson Field, runway 23, 1,600 × 100 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 38; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review April 10, 2001; seat: rear; flight hours: 6,780 total, 35 in this make and model, 1,800 as pilot in command, 70 in the last 90 days, 38 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,000 ft broken - Temperature: 70 °F From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.