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Pilot of a boeing PT17 stearman lost directional control of the aircraft when he unexpectedly rolled into a ditch which was hidden in a grass runway on landing rollout. Right wingtip collided with a fence on the side of the runway. The aircraft received minor damage to the fabric of the right wingtip.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 364312 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 47j |
| State Reference | SC |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Military Trainer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 364312 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
I landed at grass strip at 47J on friday morning. WX was good, plane was good. The grass strip was about 2000 ft long. I landed to the right of some airplanes which were normally not there and consequently went into a ditch which I did not know was there. This ditch caused my right wing to go close to the ground (I was in a tail dragger) so I started a go around but too late. The ditch caused me to hit a fence which damaged the stearman. Never land in grass unless you know the field! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the PT17 stearman received only minor damage to the right wingtip fabric which was torn when it hit the fence. He stated that he turned in this report in the hopes that it may help others that use grass strips to land on in that they may be aware that there could be hidden obstacles embedded in the grass that are not noticed until too late in the landing and takeoff rolls.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF A BOEING PT17 STEARMAN LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE ACFT WHEN HE UNEXPECTEDLY ROLLED INTO A DITCH WHICH WAS HIDDEN IN A GRASS RWY ON LNDG ROLLOUT. R WINGTIP COLLIDED WITH A FENCE ON THE SIDE OF THE RWY. THE ACFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FABRIC OF THE R WINGTIP.
Narrative: I LANDED AT GRASS STRIP AT 47J ON FRIDAY MORNING. WX WAS GOOD, PLANE WAS GOOD. THE GRASS STRIP WAS ABOUT 2000 FT LONG. I LANDED TO THE R OF SOME AIRPLANES WHICH WERE NORMALLY NOT THERE AND CONSEQUENTLY WENT INTO A DITCH WHICH I DID NOT KNOW WAS THERE. THIS DITCH CAUSED MY R WING TO GO CLOSE TO THE GND (I WAS IN A TAIL DRAGGER) SO I STARTED A GAR BUT TOO LATE. THE DITCH CAUSED ME TO HIT A FENCE WHICH DAMAGED THE STEARMAN. NEVER LAND IN GRASS UNLESS YOU KNOW THE FIELD! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE PT17 STEARMAN RECEIVED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE R WINGTIP FABRIC WHICH WAS TORN WHEN IT HIT THE FENCE. HE STATED THAT HE TURNED IN THIS RPT IN THE HOPES THAT IT MAY HELP OTHERS THAT USE GRASS STRIPS TO LAND ON IN THAT THEY MAY BE AWARE THAT THERE COULD BE HIDDEN OBSTACLES EMBEDDED IN THE GRASS THAT ARE NOT NOTICED UNTIL TOO LATE IN THE LNDG AND TKOF ROLLS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.