- Date
- June 8, 2007, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N450SSBoeing Stearman A75N1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Spokane Flight Standards Distict Office
- FAA report
- 20070608010399A
- Case key
- 66011
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. The crosswind condition was a contributing factor.
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
The pilot reported listening to the automated weather observation system (AWOS) two or three times before landing on runway 5. The last time he checked, the AWOS reported winds from 140 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot flew a straight-in approach and had landed "tail low" when "the wind got under my right wing." The airplane touched down and started into a ground loop. The pilot attempted to control the aircraft with the rudder, but "didn't have enough rudder control to stop it." During the ground loop, the left wing impacted the ground, and the aircraft departed the runway surface. The airplane came to rest, upright, in the grass alongside the runway.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported listening to the automated weather observation system (AWOS) two or three times before landing on runway 5. The last time he checked, the AWOS reported winds from 140 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot flew a straight-in approach and had landed "tail low" when "the wind got under my right wing." The airplane touched down and started into a ground loop. The pilot attempted to control the aircraft with the rudder, but "didn't have enough rudder control to stop it." During the ground loop, the left wing impacted the ground, and the aircraft departed the runway surface. The airplane came to rest, upright, in the grass alongside the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N450SS
- Reported as
- Boeing Stearman A75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-3937
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Steve Phillabaum
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2007
- Departed
- SFF · Spokane, WA
- Destination
- COE · Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Airport
- KCOE · Coeur d'Alene, runway 5, 7,400 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2005
- Flight hours
- 2,560 total · 200 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.