N55PR

On July 6, 1996, at about 1600 eastern daylight time, a Boeing Stearman E75N1, N55PR, operated by the registered owner/private pilot, touched down short of the runway and impacted a ditch, while attempting to land at a private airstrip near Goshen, Ohio. The pilot and the one passenger reported no injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, and no flight plan was filed. The pleasure flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from Goshen, Ohio, at approximately 1550.

The pilot reported that she was giving a friend a ride in the airplane, and that they were coming in for a landing on runway 24. She stated: "It was a hot day [and] I could feel the plane settle over the corn field. I was a little low so I added power coming over the field." The pilot indicated that when she thought that she had cleared the field, she reduced the power. She stated that "...as soon as I reduced power the plane settled and clipped the edge of the ditch instead of gliding on to touch down on the numbers. I heard a thud but there was no big jolt." The pilot stated the she continued to land the airplane as usual, and that the landing was "...smooth, straight ahead, [a] soft landing - except the [landing] gear was gone."

The pilot stated that "...on hot summer days, the heat generated from the corn field [and] ditch tends to make the airplane settle much quicker. It is important to shorten the base to final pattern [and] make a slightly steeper approach knowing it will sink quickly." The pilot reported that the temperature at the time of the accident was 88 degrees Fahrenheit (F.)

There was no evidence or claim of preimpact aircraft anomaly.