# Accident 20040717018399A: Amtr PITTSS1C, Durham, NC, July 17, 2004 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 17, 2004, 11:00 local time - Place: Durham, NC - Airport: Lake Ridge Aero Park Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.0644° N, 78.7839° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0644&lon=-78.7839&mi=10 - Aircraft: N177J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N177J-2018-01-11) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Pitts Special JR-1 (registry code 72202PY, https://openairdocs.org/model/pitts-special-jr-1) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental C90 series (registry code 17009, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c90-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR PITTSS1C - Reported engine: CONT C90* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 356 total, 100 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL04LA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL04LA158) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040717018399A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED WILSON INDUSTRIAL AIRPORT (W03) AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 HOURS LOCAL TIME ON 07/17/2004. AT APPROXIMATELY 1045 THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO MAKE AN ATTEMPTED LANDING AT LAKERIDGE AIRPORT (8NC8) BY THE SINGLE EYEWITNESS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPORTED THAT THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT BOUNCED 2 TIMES THEN EXECUTED A GO AROUND. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE AIRCRAFT FLEW A VERY TIGHT PATTERN CIRCLING TO LAND AGAIN ON RUNWAY 32. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPORTED THAT DURING THE APPROACH THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT ENTERED A HARD SLIP TO THE LEFT THEN NOSED UP AS IT WAS RECOVERING FROM THE SLIP THEN ENTERED A SPIN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALLED 911, AND THEN DROVE HIS VEHICLE TO THE AIRCRAFT TO CHECK ON THE CONDITION OF THE PILOT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INDICATED THE PILOT WAS EASILY DISTINGUISHED AS FATAL. REFERENCE ATTACHED WITNESS STATEMENT. I ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 1240 HOURS AND WAS MET BY THE DURHAM COUNTY EMERGENCY RESPONSE LEADER, BETTY MOORE. THE EMS CREWS HAD TO DESTROY PART OF THE CABIN AREA TO ENABLE THE REMOVAL OF THE PILOT. THE BATTERY HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED BY THE EMS AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. FORENSIC PERSONNEL TOOK PHOTOS AND A VIDEO OF THE SCENE PRIOR TO THE REMOVAL OF THE PILOT. I REVIEWED THE VIDEO AND COORDINATED THE DELIVERY OF A COPY OF ALL PHOTOS, VIDEO, AND REPORTS TO THE FSDO. THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS EDDIE WOODROW WALSTON OF WILSON, NC. MR. WALSTON HELD RECREATIONAL PILOT'S CERTIFICATE 245827914 WITH 356.1 HOURS TOTAL TIME AND 18.2 HOURS IN TYPE THE LAST 90 DAYS. THE LAST BI-ANNUAL WAS LISTED AS BEING COMPLETED 09/03/2002. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE LAST AIRCRAFT CONDITION INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED 02/12/2004. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FACING 280 DEGREES AND WAS 50 YARDS AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY 32 THRESHOLD. THE SCATTER PATTERN ENCOMPASSED A CIRCLE OF APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET. THE WOOD PROPELLER WAS FRACTURED AND LEFT WITNESS MARKS AT THE IMPACT SITE INDICATIVE OF ENGINE OPERATION. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED 6 FEET AFTER IMPACT. THE CONTINENTAL C-90 ENGINE HAD A BENT CRANKSHAFT, BROKEN ENGINE MOUNTS, BROKEN CYLINDER COOLING FINS, CRUSHED OIL TANK, AND DAMAGED EX-CELL-O FUEL INJECTION UNIT. ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DETERMINED DUE TO THE DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD FUSELAGE. THE ENGINE MOUNT AND COWLING WERE DESTROYED. DUE TO AIRFRAME DAMAGE CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS NOT ABLE TO BE ESTABLISHED FOR THE AILERONS HOWEVER, ELEVATOR PUSHRODS AND RUDDER CABLES WERE STILL INTACT BUT AGAIN, DUE TO DAMAGE WERE NOT ABLE TO BE MOVED. THE CABANE STRUTS, INTERPLANE STRUTS, AND FLYING WIRES WERE ALL DAMAGED. THE TOP WING WAS BROKEN AT THE CENTER SECTION AND SHOWED IMPACT DAMAGE FROM THE ENGINE. THE UPPER WING TRAILING EDGE CENTER SECTION CUTOUT SHOWED EVIDENCE OF IMPACT FROM THE PILOT. THE LOWER WINGS WERE BROKEN AT THE FUSELAGE AND INTERPLANE STRUT ATTACH POINTS. THE COCKPIT AREA WAS CRUSHED AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS BUCKLED AFT. THE FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED. THE CONTROL STICK HAD BEEN CUT TO AID IN EXTRACTION. THE PILOTS HARNESS WAS A 5 POINT AEROBATIC TYPE AND THE RIGHT SIDE MAIN BELT WAS FRACTURED FROM IT'S ATTACH POINT ON THE LOWER LONGERON; THE OTHER 4 POINTS OF ATTACHMENT WERE SECURE. VERIFICATION WAS MADE WITH FIRST RESPONDERS THAT IT WAS FRACTURED AND NOT CUT DURING EXTRACTION. THE CANOPY WAS FRACTURED. THE THROTTLE WAS SET AT FULL OPEN; TACHOMETER READ 1500 RPM, THE OIL PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE READ IN THE GREEN. THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS SET TO BOTH AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET TO THE ON POSITION. THE LANDING GEAR WAS FOLDED AFT AND UNDER THE LOWER WINGS. THE LANDING GEAR BUNGIES WERE INTACT. THE EMPENNAGE AND TAIL FEATHERS WERE INTACT. THE RUDDER HAD A BENT CONTROL ARM DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE. THE TAILWHEEL WAS A LOCKING "HAIGH" TYPE AND WAS IN THE LOCKED POSITION. AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HOURS I CONTACTED BUTCH WILSON NTSB AND VERIFIED THEY WERE NOT GOING TO BE ON SCENE. WE AGREED TO RELEASE THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. CAUTION TAPE WAS PLACED AROUND THE WRECKAGE AND A LOCAL DEPUTY WHO LIVES ADJACENT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AGREED TO WATCH IT UNTIL IT WAS REMOVED. FRIENDS OF THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOOK THE WRECKAGE TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SHOP AND CONTACTED THE DAUGHTER OF THE PILOT FOR DISPOSITION. THE BODY WAS TAKEN TO UNC HOSPITAL, CHAPEL HILL FOR AUTOPSY. ## 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 ATL04LA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL04LA158), Jul 17, 2004: Pitts S-1 (N177J), Durham, NC, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain. ## Other reports on N177J (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19991204033309A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991204033309A), Dec 4, 1999: Amtr PITTSS1C (N177J), Creedmore, NC, Substantial damage. (.19) On December 4, 1999, about 1710 eastern standard time, a pitts special S1C, N177J, registered to a private individual, operating as a title 14 part 91… 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.