20011219038869A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aviat PITTS S-1S · Orlando, FL · December 19, 2001

Date
December 19, 2001 · 12:30 local
Place
Orlando, FL
Airport
Orlando Sanford Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N522H
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL02LA018
Reported as
Aviat PITTSS1S
Reported engine
Lycoming AEIO360*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
16,800 total205 in this make and model120 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4) On December 19, 2001, about 1230 eastern standard time, a pitts S-1S, N522H, registered to a private owner, nosed over during landing roll at Orlando Sanford Airport in Sanford, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the airline transport pilot was not injured. The local flight departed Orlando Sanford Airport about 1150. The pilot executed a downwind approach and touched down on runway 9 center. The pilot stated, during landing roll at 10 miles per hour, a tailwind picked up the tail of the airplane. The airplane's propeller struck the ground, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted on the runway. A review of weather observation data for the airport indicated at 1253, winds were reported from 260 degrees magnetic at 10 knots. Initial examination of the airplane revealed the propeller and spinner were damaged, the top wing spar support members were bent, one outboard wing spar was broken, the top rudder bow was bent with wrinkling of the fuselage at the base of the fin, the leading edge of the top wing showed cracks on both sides of the fuel tank, and the engine mounts were displaced. (-23) on Wednesday 19 December, 2001 at 12:05 EST, Mr. John l. heverling, holder of pilot certificate number 1504710, was flying his amateur built pitts S-1S airplane at the Orlando Sanford Airport. Mr. Heverline executed a normal approach to a landing on runway 9 center. After touchdown during the landing roll-out, he lost control of the aircraft and flipped the airplane over onto its back (upside-down). The aircraft sustained substantial damage with no injury to the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) ON DECEMBER 19, 2001, ABOUT 1230 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PITTS S-1S, N522H, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, NOSED OVER DURING LANDING ROLL AT ORLANDO SANFORD AIRPORT IN SANFORD, FLORIDA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED ORLANDO SANFORD AIRPORT ABOUT 1150. THE PILOT EXECUTED A DOWNWIND APPROACH AND TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 9 CENTER. THE PILOT STATED, DURING LANDING ROLL AT 10 MILES PER HOUR, A TAILWIND PICKED UP THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE'S PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED ON THE RUNWAY. A REVIEW OF WEATHER OBSERVATION DATA FOR THE AIRPORT INDICATED AT 1253, WINDS WERE REPORTED FROM 260 DEGREES MAGNETIC AT 10 KNOTS. INITIAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE PROPELLER AND SPINNER WERE DAMAGED, THE TOP WING SPAR SUPPORT MEMBERS WERE BENT, ONE OUTBOARD WING SPAR WAS BROKEN, THE TOP RUDDER BOW WAS BENT WITH WRINKLING OF THE FUSELAGE AT THE BASE OF THE FIN, THE LEADING EDGE OF THE TOP WING SHOWED CRACKS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FUEL TANK, AND THE ENGINE MOUNTS WERE DISPLACED. (-23) ON WEDNESDAY 19 DECEMBER, 2001 AT 12:05 EST, MR. JOHN L. HEVERLING, HOLDER OF PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 1504710, WAS FLYING HIS AMATEUR BUILT PITTS S-1S AIRPLANE AT THE ORLANDO SANFORD AIRPORT. MR. HEVERLINE EXECUTED A NORMAL APPROACH TO A LANDING ON RUNWAY 9 CENTER. AFTER TOUCHDOWN DURING THE LANDING ROLL-OUT, HE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND FLIPPED THE AIRPLANE OVER ONTO ITS BACK (UPSIDE-DOWN). THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH NO INJURY TO THE PILOT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.