Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 5; Flight Crew Total 27617; Flight Crew Type 443
Human-Machine Interface; Time Pressure
Ground Excursion Runway; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Aircraft; Human Factors
I inadvertently went off left side of hard-surface runway onto grass; incurring minor fabric damage to underside of lower left wing due to contact with a runway light. I returned to the hard surface during rollout. I had performed 12 previous landings within the past 90 days. There was a slight left-hand crosswind but it was not a factor. I landed on speed; stabilized; with no bounce. The swerving started after tailwheel contacted runway. I failed to correct the swerving enough to keep airplane on hard surface.I had a front-seat passenger which degrades forward visibility. Most of my flying is solo. Stearman likes to swerve; especially on hard surface and requires close attention all the way down to taxi speed. I attribute this event mainly to minimal landing practice in past 90 days; not reacting promptly enough with correct control input and indecision about going around.
The pilot of a Stearman believed the lack of recent landing experience and the obstruction of vision due to a front seat passenger contributed to his loss of control; runway excursion and collision with a landing light after touch down.