Stearman A75N1(PT17) accident near Kenosha, Wisconsin, August 31, 2018
On August 31, 2018, a 1942 Stearman A75N1(PT17), registered N64604, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kenosha, Wisconsin (Kenosha Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failed retaining bolt and cracked backing plate, which resulted in a shift of the brake lining to contact the brake drum and a subsequent wheel lock when the brakes were applied.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2018
- Place
- Kenosha, Wisconsin · Kenosha Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stearman A75N1(PT17) 3, built 1942
- Registration
- N64604 · registry record · serial 75-6811
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot had performed three touch-and-go maneuvers without braking. On the fourth and last planned landing roll about 30 mph, the airplane experienced an excessive tailwheel shimmy. About 25 mph, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left main wheel/brake assembly was locked; thus, the wheel/tire could not be rotated. Partial disassembly of the wheel/brake assembly revealed a failed retaining bolt for the brake backing plate and a crack in the backing plate. The bolt likely broke off and became lodged in the assembly; thus, it is likely the failed retaining bolt and cracked backing plate resulted in a shift of the brake lining to contact the brake drum and led to a subsequent wheel lock when the brakes were applied.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 16,000 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 8, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,561 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W670-6A (piston); 3,324 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENW Kenosha WI at 11:30 pm
- Destination: ENW Kenosha WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07R, 3,302 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from ENW, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N64604 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN18LA360.