# Accident 19981128032401A: Aviat PITTSS2B, Easton, MD, November 28, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 28, 1998, 11:19 local time - Place: Easton, MD - Airport: Easton Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Collision: Midair collision, first aircraft - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.7692° N, 76.0607° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7692&lon=-76.0607&mi=10 - Aircraft: N340PS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N340PS) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aviat PITTS S-2B (registry code 2210308, https://openairdocs.org/model/aviat-pitts-s-2b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 series (registry code 41568, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-aeio-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AVIAT PITTSS2B - Reported engine: LYC AEIO540D4A5 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 6,199 total, 4,000 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD99LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD99LA022) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981128032401A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT LANDED AND STRUCK N5088Q, WHICH WAS STILL ON RUNWAY. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 28, 1998, AT 1115 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PITTS S-2B, N340PS, AND A CESSNA 152, N5088Q, WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER THEY COLLIDED ON RUNWAY 22 AT THE NEWNAM FIELD AIRPORT, EASTON, MARYLAND. THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTURCTOR, AND DUAL STUDENT IN THE PITTS WERE NOT INJURED. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER IN THE CESSNA RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED BY EITHER PILOT. THE PITTS WAS A LOCAL, INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, WHILE THE CESSNA WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED AT THE BAY BRIDGE AIRPORT, STEVENSVILLE, MARYLAND. THE CESSNA HAD LANDED, AND WAS STILL ON RUNWAY 22, WHEN THE PITTS DURING THE FLARE/TOUCHDOWN COLLIDED WITH THE CESSNA FROM THE REAR, NEAR THE FIRST TAXIWAY. THE PILOT OF THE PITTS REPORTED THAT THIS WAS HIS FIFTH LANDING. HE STATED THAT HE HAD OBSERVED ANOTHER AIRPLANE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, AND HE ASKED THE PILOT HIS INTENTIONS, AS HE THOUGHT THE AIRPLANE WAS DEPARTING TO THE NORTH. THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS STAYING IN THE PATTERN. THE PITTS PILOT SAID HE REPORTED TURNING TO FINAL AND THAT THE RUNWAY WAS CLEAR. DURING THE FLARE AT ABOUT 5 TO 7 FEET, HE SAW AN AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PITTS COLLIDED WITH THE AIRPLANE, AND SLID TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA WAS INTERVIEWED BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, AND WAS ASKED IF HE HAD SEEN THE PITTS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE CESSNA PILOT STATED: "I SAW HIM ON HIS GROUND ROLL WHEN WE WERE NUMBER FOUR TO LAND. THERE WERE TWO OTHER PLANES BETWEEN US AND THE RED ONE. I DIDN'T SEE THE RED ONE AGAIN BECAUSE HE WAS ON THE GROUND AND NO LONGER A FACTOR. I KEPT MY EYES ON THE OTHER TWO AND EXTENDED MY BASE FOR SPACING. I ANNOUNCED IT ON THE RADIO. I LANDED, INTENDING TOTURN ON THE FIRST TAXIWAY. I LANDED SHORT TO DO THAT. AT IMPACT, I WAS GOING ABOUT TEN MILES PER HOUR. I HAD JUST TOUCHED THE RIGHT BRAKE TO TURN ON THE TAXIWAY, WHEN `WHAM,' WE WERE IMMEDIATELY TURNED AND KNOCKED DOWN. WE GOT OUT OF THE PLANE. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE GOT OUT THAT I SAW THE RED PITTS AND REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED." THERE WERE SEVERAL WITNESSES WHO SAW AND HEARD THE AIRPLANES IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. ONE OF THE WITNESSES WHO WAS MONITORING THE UNICOM FREQUENCY REPORTED THAT SHE HEARD THE "CESSNA" BROADCAST, BUT SHE DID NOT RECALL HEARING THE PITTS. SHE SAID SHE COMMENTED TO SOMEONE IN THE OFFICE, "WHEN DID HE COME BACK." SHE SAID THE PITTS WAS FAST AND LOW, AND IT LOOKED LIKE JUST BEFORE HE HIT THE CESSNA, HE WAS GETTING TO FLARE OR TOUCHDOWN. ANOTHER WITNESS, A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT IN THE PATTERN BEHIND THE PITTS, SAID THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN. HE HEARD THE CESSNA REPORT TURNING BASE TO FINAL, BUT HE DOES NOT RECALL HEARING THE PITTS MAKE A RADIO TRANSMISSION. THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE STATED THAT THE RADIOS OF BOTH AIRPLANES WERE TUNED TO THE UNICOM FREQUENCY. THE ALEFT AILERON OF THE CESSNA SEPARATED AND WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY. THE DISTANCE FROM THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD TO THE TAXIWAY WAS 930 FEET, AND THE RUNWAY WAS 5,511 FEET LONG BY 100 FEET WIDE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IN THE PITTS REPORTED OVER 6,200 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, WHICH INCLUDED 4,000 HOURS IN MAKE AND MODEL. THE STUDENT IN THE PITTS REPORTED OVER 2,000 OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WHICH INCLUDED 3 HOURS IN MAKE AND MODEL. THE PILOT IN THE CESSNA REPORTED OVER 389 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WHEN HE APPLIED FOR A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL. (.4)THE COMMERCIALLY RATED STUDENT PILOT, WHO WAS TRAINING FOR A TAILWHEEL ENDORSEMENT AND CHECKOUT IN THE AIRCRAFT, WAS OCCUPYING THE REAR SEAT OF THE PITTS. THE COMMERCIALLY RATED PILOT-IN-COMMAND, A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WAS OCCUPYING THE FORWARD SEAT OF THE PITTS. AFTER ARRIVING IN THE PATTERN AND CONDUCTING SEVERAL TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 22, THE STUDENT PILOT INITIATED ANOTHER APPROACH AS HE WAS PASSING SLIGHTLY DOWNWIND OF THE ABEAM POSITION. THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED MAKING A RADIO CALL ANNOUNCING 'PITTS TURNING BASE' AND THEN, MIDWAY THROUGH THE BASE TURN, REPORTED HEARING A RADIO TRANSMISSION FROM A CESSNA AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN WHICH WAS FOLLOWING THE PITTS. BOTH THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT ON FINAL APPROACH, THE PITTS WAS FLARED FOR LANDING DURING WHICH THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A CESSNA 152 WHICH HAD JUST LANDED AND WAS PREPARING TO CLEAR THE RUNWAY AT THE FIRST TAXIWAY. BOTH THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT THEY DID NOT SEE THE CESSNA DURING THEIR APPROACH. THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA FOLLOWING THE PITTS IN THE PATTERN REPORTED HEARING THE CESSNA 152 CALL BASE ON THE AIRPORT'S UNICOM FREQUENCY, AND DESCRIBED THE CONDITIONS AS CLEAR AND SUNN Y. ## Other aircraft in the event - N5088Q, Cessna 152: [Accident 19981128032402A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981128032402A) ## 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 IAD99LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD99LA022), Nov 28, 1998: Pitts S-2B (N340PS), Easton, MD, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of both the pilot-in-command (CFI) and dual student of the other aircraft (Pitts) to maintain adequate visual lookout. ## Other reports on N340PS (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20010411015489I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010411015489I), Apr 11, 2001: Aviat PITTSS2B (N340PS), Lakeland, FL, Minor damage. (-23) On April 2001, at 1100 EDT, an Aviat S2B, N340PS, registered to daniel d. barks, experienced a canopy separation and hard landing at the Lakeland linder… 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.