- Date
- January 22, 2020, 14:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- Vacaville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N14GCStearman B75N1
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 27, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200122007619A
- Case key
- 100850
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 nose-over when the right wheel encountered mud.
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 reported that, while practicing stop-and-go landings, the airplane took off, and he then made a standard traffic pattern to land. The airplane touched down on the numbers with both main wheels. When the tailwheel touched down, the pilot felt a wind gust from the east, which tipped the left wing down. He attempted to correct with right aileron, but when the wings became level, the right wheel exited the runway surface and sank into mud. The airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice stop-and-go landings. The airplane took off and made a standard traffic pattern to land. The airplane touched down on the numbers with both main wheels. When the tailwheel touched down, the pilot felt a gust of wind from the east which tipped the left wing down. He attempted to correct with right aileron, but when the wings became level the right wheel exited the runway surface and sunk into the mud. The airplane nosed over substantially damaging the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14GC
- Reported as
- Stearman B75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-6503
- Built
- 1942
- Engine
- Lycoming R-680, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 8, 2019 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- VCB · Vacaville, CA
- Destination
- VCB · Vacaville, CA
- Airport
- VCB · Nut Tree Airport, runway 02, 4,700 × 75 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 32
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 26, 2019
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 214 total · 39 in this make and model · 112 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- VCB
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 7, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 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 N14GC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.