Stearman B75N1 accident near Vacaville, California, January 22, 2020
On January 22, 2020 at about 10:10 pm local time, a 1942 Stearman B75N1, registered N14GC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Vacaville, California (Nut Tree Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 2020 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Vacaville, California · Nut Tree Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stearman B75N1, built 1942
- Registration
- N14GC · registry record · serial 75-6503
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 214 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 112 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 26, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 8, 2019; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R-680 (piston); 122 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VCB Vacaville CA at 10:08 pm
- Destination: VCB Vacaville CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 4,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from VCB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 N14GC 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 WPR20CA073.