# Accident 19980418007209A: Child S2APITTS, Daytona Beach, FL, April 18, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 18, 1998, 19:56 local time
- Place: Daytona Beach, FL
- Airport: Spruce Creek Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.1098° N, 80.9703° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.1098&lon=-80.9703&mi=10
- Aircraft: N60DL (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: 870 total, 16 in this make and model, 24 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA064) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980418007209A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

VEERED OFF RUNWAY INTO TREES DURING TAKEOFF. CROSSWIND A FACTOR.(.4) ON APRIL 18, 1998, AT 1956 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A DENNIS L. LONG, PITTS S-2A, N60DL, COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING AN ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 23 AT THE SPRUCE CREEK AIRPORT IN DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. ACCORDING TO WEATHER DATA FROM THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY, VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION SAFETY INSPECTOR, THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL AIRFRAME DAMAGE. THE SWISS PILOT, WITH A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION COMMERCIAL RATING, AND HIS SWISS PASSENGER, WERE NOT INJURED. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF ATTEMPT FROM DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING A TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 23, A WIND GUST (CROSSWIND FROM THE LEFT) SUDDENLY HIT THE AIRPLANE, AND HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. WITNESSES OBSERVING THE ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF REPORTED THAT, THE AIRPLANE ROLLED ABOUT 100 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, THEN IT SUDDENLY VEERED LEFT. THE AIRPLANE WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAVED RUNWAY AND COLLIDED    WITH A STAND OF TREES. A REVIEW OF THE PILOT'S CERTIFICATION RECORDS, DISCLOSED THAT HE HAD BEEN ISSUED A PILOT CERTIFICATE BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, ON MARCH 24, 1995. THE REVIEW ALSO DISCLOSED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT PRESENT A CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE NOR DID HE ACQUIRE A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE SUBSEQUENT TO BEING ISSUED A PILOT CERTIFICATE. IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 14 CFR PART 61.75, THE PILOT MUST POSSES A CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE FROM SWITZERLAND BEFORE A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION PILOT CERTIFICATE COULD BE ISSUED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 50 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME IN THE PITTS S-2A AIRPLANE. THE PREVAILING WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED AT 110 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS, WITH THE AIRPLANE, WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT. (-23) PILOT ATTEMPTED TAKE OFF FROM SPRUCE CREEK, DURING UNFORCAST WIND GUST, LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO WOODS.  NO INJURIES TO PILOT OR PASSENGER.  AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

## 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 ATL98LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA064), Apr 18, 1998: Dennis L. Long Pitts S-2A (N60DL), Daytona Beach, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an attempted takeoff. A factor was the reported crosswind condition.

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.

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