Question for light plane pilots - why did it do that?

[..]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/weirdnewsvideo/7814098/WW2-plane-flips-on-landing.html

Did it come in too steep and touch the runway with the propeller?

[Willow]

Did it come in too steep and touch the runway with the propeller?

The pilot says he braked.  Smoke off the left wheel would indicate it's not turning.

Stearman flips on landing

[Rowdy]

Since it was tail dragger - the little wheel in the back.
It becomes a little more chalenging to taxi and land.
If you notice the bigger planes have at least 3 sets of wheels - the rear wheels hit first and then the front wheel settles to the ground during a landing 

A Tail dragger can't do that  it needs to balance itself on the 2 front wheels, until it comes to an almost stop     Couple things could have happened, he may have came in to steep and hit the propeller on the runway or for what ever reason he hit the brakes to soon or the wheel seized up ???

It's a tricker plan to land and take off

[..]

Did it come in too steep and touch the runway with the propeller?

The pilot says he braked.  Smoke off the left wheel would indicate it's not turning.

Stearman flips on landing

Ooops!

[ricoman]

he was on the brakes-
not sure if the brakes are the same on that plane as others, but many/most have the brakes actuated by pushing on the top portion of the rudder pedals- if he was riding them (pedals) too high on his approach he was on the brakes while in the air and landed with the wheels almost locked and pushed a bit too hard when he touched down and over she went
not that uncommon of an occurrence, but with tricycle gear planes the result are blown  or flat spotted tires as the nose gear prevents going a$$ over teacup!
most, if not all, single engine light planes, new or old, have only three wheels

[Rams]

<------- Not qualified to do anything but guess.  All I wll say is that if it can't hover, it ain't worth flying.   

blackrams

[Sludge]

<------- Not qualified to do anything but guess.  All I wll say is that if it can't hover, it ain't worth flying.   

blackrams

Having flown both... yea being able to hover DOES grow on ya. 

[Rams]

Sometime when you're bored, I'd love to hear about it.

Spent some time hovering myself.   

blackrams

[2 Many]

I flew RC giant scale planes for a bit over 20 years and Biplanes were my favorite. A Biplane is hard to land. The 2nd wing puts a lot of drag and as it slows it drops out of the air very quickly. You have to land it with more power than normal. IOW-- fly it to the ground instead of floating it in. The landing gear is very narrow making it very unstable on the ground. Plus it is "springy". I know a guy who had a full scale Stearman and he offered to let a friend fly it. After 4 failed attempts to taxi it to the runway he turns to the guy and tells him "If you ever want to steal my plane, you better bring a trailer"

[John Schmidt]

Sorry guys, if anything is spinning I want it to out in front, not overhead. My wife refers to those non-fixed wing apparatus as "flying ceiling fans."  I always felt safer for some reason if I could look out and see the wings stationary on either side of me. Only time I ever got airsick was in a heck-a-copter.   

[Rams]

Only time I ever got airsick was in a heck-a-copter.    

I don't like riding back there myself.  I test flew R/Ws for about 10 years in the Army.  Never did like riding in the back.  Then again, I've survived 8 engine failures/autorotations to the ground.  Show me a fixed winged that can land without an engine in your average backyard and still be flown back out.  

blackrams

[Ben]

A quick reminder to you chopper pilots...Helicopters do NOT fly...they just beat the air into
submission...

[Rams]

A quick reminder to you chopper pilots...Helicopters do NOT fly...they just beat the air into
submission...

And, non-belivers never get to ride up front. 

[Jess Tolbirt]

my theory is that he forgot he was in a tail dragger and when the front wheels hit ground he hit the brakes,,,oops,,,,

[CamTom12]

Since it was tail dragger - the little wheel in the back.
It becomes a little more chalenging to taxi and land.
If you notice the bigger planes have at least 3 sets of wheels - the rear wheels hit first and then the front wheel settles to the ground during a landing 

A Tail dragger can't do that  it needs to balance itself on the 2 front wheels, until it comes to an almost stop     Couple things could have happened, he may have came in to steep and hit the propeller on the runway or for what ever reason he hit the brakes to soon or the wheel seized up ???

It's a tricker plan to land and take off

they are trickier to land and take off, but puttin the tailwheel down first will pull the main landing gear down, you don't HAVE to do a two point landing.

I fly helos for a living, but have some fixed wing time as well. My grandpa flew aerobatics for years so we'd cross-country to competitons.

I prefer rotary-wing, though

[2 Many]

[quote author

My grandpa flew aerobatics for years so we'd cross-country to competitons.


[/quote]

What was his name and what years did he fly? I used to keep up

[tank_post142]

CHOPPERS DO NOT FLY!!!! they're just so darn ugly the earth rejects them!

[CamTom12]

What was his name and what years did he fly? I used to keep up

public forum so PM if you really want his name, but he flew a couple of citabrias and a skybolt. I think Sportsman was the highest class he flew in. Mainly out in the NW US.