# Accident 19980217006069A: Child S2APITTS, Daytona Beach, FL, February 17, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 17, 1998, 17:20 local time - Place: Daytona Beach, FL - Airport: Spruce Creek Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.0208° N, 80.9190° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.0208&lon=-80.9190&mi=10 - Aircraft: N32TP (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: CHILD S2APITTS - Reported engine: LYC IO360A1A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 15,000 total, 600 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA045](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA045) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980217006069A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. SPIN MANEUVER. ENGINE QUIT. PROP STOPPED. UNABLE RESTRAT. LANDED SOFT LANDFILL. FLIPPED OVER.(.4) ON FEBRUARY 17, 1998, AT 1720 EASTERN STANDARD TIME,A PITTS S-2A, N32TP, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING AN EMERGENCY LANDING FIVE MILES NORTH OF NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FLORIDA. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND HE HAD NOT FILED A FLIGHT PLAN. HE ALSO STATED THAT VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRFRAME SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL AIRFRAME DAMAGE. NEITHER OF THE TWO AIR TRANSPORT PILOTS ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE WERE INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED SPRUCE CREEK AIRPORT IN DAYTONA BEACH FLORIDA, AT 1700. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THEY WERE PERFORMING FLAT SPIN MANEUVERS WHEN THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY STOPPED TURNING. AT THE SAME TIME, THE PILOT REALIZED THAT THE ENGINE HAD ALSO QUIT. ATTEMPTS, BY THE PILOT TO RESTART THE ENGINE, FAILED. THE PILOT SURVEYED THE IMMEDIATE AREA FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING AREA. THE PILOT SAID, HE SELECTED A LANDFILL AND ESTABLISHED AN APPROACH FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. HE RECALLED, AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SANK INTO THE SOFT SOIL, AND THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER ON THE LEFT SIDE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DISCLOSED THAT THE STARTER DRIVE ASSEMBLY WAS STUCK, AND IT WAS ALSO JAMMED AGAINST THE ENGINE FLYWHEEL. THE STARTER DRIVE ASSEMBLY WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING 'GUMMED UP". AFTER THE STARTER DRIVE ASSEMBLE WAS FREED THE ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY. THE NORMAL RESTART PROCEDURE REQUIRES THE USE OF THE STARTER ASSEMBLY. EXAMINATION MAINTENANCE RECORDS DISCLOSED THAT THE AIRFRAME MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES WERE COMPLETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PRESCRIBED PROCEDURES. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE STARTER ASSEMBLY HAD NOT BEEN SERVICED IN SEVERAL YEARS. ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF TEST PILOT FOR AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC., PITTS AVIATION ENTERPRISES, INC., AND OTHER S-2A PILOTS, IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THE S-2A TO EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING HE EXECUTION OF A FLAT SPIN. THE NORMAL IN-FLIGHT RESTART PROCEDURES ARE REQUITED TO RECOVER FROM THIS MANEUVER. (SEE ATTACHED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR IN-FLIGHT ENGINE RESTART). (-23) AIRCRAFT ENGINE STOPPED WHILE PERFORMING ACROBATIC MANEUVERS AT 3,500'. PIC WAS UNABLE TO RESTART ENGINE, SUBSEQUENTLY, MAKING AN EMERGENCY LAND IND INTO A LAND FIELD AND CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH UPPER AND LOWER LEFT WINGS WERE TORN OFF AND THE LEFT ELEVATOR HAD MAJOR DAMAGE. FAA INSPECTOR FOUND THE BENDIX ON THE STARTER WOULD NOT WORK. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ATL98LA045](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA045), Feb 17, 1998: Pitts S-2A (N32TP), New Smyrna Beac, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and, the jammed engine starter drive assembly, that prevented an engine restart in flight. A factor was the soft terrain. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.