MIA00LA116

Factual narrative

On March 22, 2000, about 0830 eastern standard time, a Stearman A75N1, N541JK, registered to a private individual, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, sustained a ground loop during a landing at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot and a passenger were not injured. The flight originated from the airport about 30 minutes before the accident. According to the pilot, he was landing on Fort Lauderdale Executive's runway 8 with reported winds from 020 degrees at 6 knots. As he neared his flare point he encountered the "burble" that most local pilots, including himself, know exists when the wind is from a northerly direction. At touchdown the airplane "skipped" slightly and the left wings lifted causing the right lower wingtip to strike the runway. Once he sensed a ground loop was inevitable, he added power to miss the runway edge lights causing an excursion off the left edge of the runway. According to FAA inspectors, the outboard 5 or 6 feet of the lower right wing was bent upward at a 25-degree angle, and both wing spars were broken. Inspection of the airplane's systems revealed no mechanical defects that would have contributed to the loss of directional control. The pilot stated that winds reported at the time of his lan ding to runway 08 were from 020 degrees at 6 knots, and that all local pilots are aware of wind burbles in the touchdown area of that runway when winds are from a northerly direction. As he flared, the burble caused the aircraft to 'skip' on touchdown, the left wings lifted, and the right lower wing tip struck the runway. When directional control was lost, the pilot added power to miss a runway light, and a ground loop resulted. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12