Stearman Aircraft 4E accident near Porterville, California, May 17, 2021
On May 17, 2021 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1930 Stearman Aircraft 4E, registered N663K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Porterville, California (Porterville Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control while landing, which resulted in a landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 2021 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Porterville, California · Porterville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stearman Aircraft 4E, built 1930 · all 4Es on the register
- Registration
- N663K · registry record · serial 4005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, after landing the airplane encountered a gust of wind and ballooned. During the subsequent touch down, the airplane landed “in a very minor crab,” the right main landing gear collapsed, and the lower right wing was substantially damaged when it impacted the runway surface. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, 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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 28,462 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 165 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days; 11,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 15, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 31, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 3,936 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 SC-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSEE San Diego CA at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 5,960 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KPTV
Weather report (METAR): KPTV 172156Z AUTO 29007KT 260V320 10SM CLR 29/11 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP145 T02890111
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N663K 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 WPR21LA197.