View Full Version : Antique biplane flips at Washington Reagan National
A Stearman biplane in town for a Legends of Flight event has tipped over on the tarmac at Reagan National Airport.
Antique Biplane Flips Over at Reagan National | ABC 7 News (http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0610/743827.html)
GarageYears
8th Jun 2010, 16:40
The National Transportation Safety Board today dispatched a
team to investigate today's aviation event that occurred at
approximately 10:05 a.m. at Reagan National Airport, in
Washington, D.C.
A Boeing Stearman ST75 (N52652) ground looped and then
flipped on landing on runway 1.
Senior Aviation Safety Investigator Robert Benzon has been
designated as the Investigator-in-Charge.
Press conference scheduled for 1.30PM. Anyone got any other related info?
- GY
TopBunk
8th Jun 2010, 16:51
DCA 081417Z 33008G16KT 10SM FEW050 SCT250 22/06 A3016 RMK AO2
$= (SPECI)
KDCA 081415Z 33008G16KT 10SM FEW050 SCT250 22/06 A3016 RMK AO2
$= (SPECI)
I guess these 'SPECI' reports cover the weather immediately either side of the incident.
gordonroxburgh
8th Jun 2010, 17:18
Video from on baord here
Video: Vintage plane crash lands at National airport (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/06/08/VI2010060802370.html)
ChicoChico
8th Jun 2010, 17:22
Flipped over would have been better words for it!
Video from the ground . . .
YouTube - FlightBlogger - Stearman Bi-Plane Flips on arrival to DCA - June 8, 2010 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoOQ-qPcd-E&feature=player_embedded)
TopBunk
8th Jun 2010, 17:35
If you look at the video shot from the ground, it would seem that the left brake locked up very quickly on touchdown.
Could it have been a locked brake or an inappropriate brake application?
Looks like both brakes to me. Memories of a Jet Provost at Bitteswell 1970'ish...............:) Praise the Lord for nosewheels.....
GarageYears
8th Jun 2010, 17:47
Yep, looks like both brakes to me too - a single locked brake would have rotated the plane around the locked gear leg. In this case it looks very much like a little too much brake, too soon, and stood it on the nose. Doesn't look like much damage. :O
You have to wonder what the crew and left side passengers of the US Airways aircraft seen taxiing in the ground video must have thought.
- GY
"You'll never get me up in one of those....."?
kevmusic
9th Jun 2010, 08:43
Now remind me, what's the first item in downwind checks again? :hmm:
Good nobody was hurt, but I suspect that'll be an expensive engine service!
The BBC reporter referred to the 'plane as having 'flipped onto its roof'. Roof! What happened to standards!!!
India Four Two
9th Jun 2010, 09:02
Video from on baord here
Video: Vintage plane crash lands at National airport (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/06/08/VI2010060802370.html)
Now that's presence of mind. The passenger calmly turns the camera over and continues filming as he extracts himself from the cockpit.
Pilot quoted as saying " I just touched the brakes and...................!
Ah! So that's what happens on a long long runway with a tailwheeler:ugh:
trex450
9th Jun 2010, 13:00
excuse my ignorance on this (cue sarcastic abuse) but why would touching, and then presumably releasing, the brakes cause it to turn over. I can imagine if the pilot landed with the parking brake on or did not release the brakes that this would happen but otherwise am puzzled.
barit1
9th Jun 2010, 13:31
Obama announced he's banning Stearmans for a six-month review of their safety. :}
forget
9th Jun 2010, 14:36
The BBC reporter referred to the 'plane as having 'flipped onto its roof'. Roof! What happened to standards!!!
Nothing. For example - The AWACS plane is a modified Boeing 707 commercial jetliner characterized by the strikingly large thirty-foot rotating antenna mounted on its roof.
What would you call it?
PaperTiger
9th Jun 2010, 15:07
forget:
Here is a Stearman:
http://www.warbirdalley.com/images/Stearman-04July05-overRFD-3.jpg
Could you please point out the 'roof' to me ?
Noah Zark.
9th Jun 2010, 15:24
Not knowing, and not an expert, but would it be possible for the passenger to have applied the parking brake from his cockpit without the pilot knowing?
forget
9th Jun 2010, 15:29
Paper Tiger, What are you relying on? The fact that it's a biplane? The top of the fuselage, or the bottom if it's up-side down, is still the roof. Does a helicopter have a roof? Yes.
The Fleet 50 Freighter was a twin-engine biplane Canadian general utility aircraft designed and built by Fleet Aircraft. This peculiar-looking aircraft had promise as a freighter and general use aircraft, but it was underpowered and only five were built.
Large doors and a roof-mounted chain hoist were fitted for use in the cargo role.
Jig Peter
10th Jun 2010, 14:21
Clever little lad doing a pre-IRT instrument take-off in a Meteor 7 from Tarrant Rushton in '52 (ish) ... "of course I know when we're airborne, so no staggering off with the wheels a-dangle - there we go, so ... brakes ON - whoops ..:mad:. LOUD "I have control from the back" and MIKE READ gets us a) airborne and b) back on the ground.
Very crestfallen he was (and still is), bright young JP ...
Thanks, Mike - I always enjoyed flying with you !
PS. When I later became an IRE myself, I watched like an 'awk for somebody to do that to me, but they never did
Brian Abraham
11th Jun 2010, 03:45
Not knowing, and not an expert, but would it be possible for the passenger to have applied the parking brake from his cockpit without the pilot knowing?Noah, you not a trained investigator are you? ;)
From an ex airline and until recently a Stearman owner.
A Washington Post reporter was being carried and admitted to accidentally pushing on the brakes in order to leverage himself up to see better during the landing!!! He didn't realize he was pushing on the brake pedals. Duh... (about a $50K+ mistake because even if their was no damage to the airframe on this Stearman, the engine will have to be totally overhauled and re-certified...)
It's a good reminder for all who routinely carry non-pilots in our aircraft to brief them on where not to have their feet & hands during critical phases of flight.
See incockpit video at Cockpit Video (http://www.135ahc.net/media/cockpit.html)
LowNSlow
11th Jun 2010, 07:33
Surprised that the photographer wasn't briefed to keep his extremeties out of the way. Also surprised that the pilot didn't feel the weight of the piccy taker's size 9's on the pedals while he was using the rudder on the approach. Anyhow, nobody seems to be hurt apart from a reddening of the cheeks. Hopefully the insurance will pay out and the Stearman will be gracing the skies in the near future.
Forget. How can an aeroplane with only fresh air above the crew's heads have a roof? :ugh:
stepwilk
11th Jun 2010, 16:38
If the parking brake were on, they couldn't have taxied the Stearman to take off in the first place. (Yes, I have Stearman time. As does my wife.)
Seems to me the tire smoke shows the left brake locked, and no, that wouldn't necessarily have slewed the airplane wildly if it caused a noseover immediately. Stearman brakes are very subject to failures of this sort, and noseovers are the single most common form of PT-13/17 incident.
Touching the brakes could have caused the instant lockup. I'm sure even a 150-hour Stearman pilot (which as I remember was his time in type) would not have gone crazy with the brakes on an 8,000-foot (?) concrete runway. The rudder works just fine.
How many commenters, by the way, do have Stearman time? Maybe a few?
Okay, just saw Brian's post (above). There's our answer.
Tupperware Pilot
11th Jun 2010, 19:02
Reminds me of this....... Photos: Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Aquila-Gliding-Club/Piper-PA-25-235-Pawnee/1225314/L/)
barit1
11th Jun 2010, 21:42
The rudder works just fine.
My dad instructed for a time in PT-17's in Texas. He always thought the Stearman a rather benign trainer, too easy to keep straight on the ground, not much preparation for the Texan (/Harvard) that followed in the student's curriculum. ;)
Noah Zark.
11th Jun 2010, 23:35
even if their was no damage to the airframe on this Stearman
The video of the accident and some stills from it appear to suggest that the starboard outer wing struts are bent quite a lot, so the damage might be much more than originally feared. Great pity.
larssnowpharter
12th Jun 2010, 10:30
I have flown a Stearman on a number of occasions. I recall the first time being warned that the brakes were a bit 'grabby'.
Until recently (blame the banks for this) I was considering buying one as a retirement restoration project. During research recall that an option was to replace original brakes (shoe and drun) with discs.
Glad no-one hurt.