20191103022759A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Pitts PITTS-S1 · Monument Valley, UT · November 3, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: November 3, 2019 · 11:45 local
Place: Monument Valley, UT
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: C-GMEE
Reported as: Pitts PITTS-S1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,700 total350 in this make and model200 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.

Pilot approached runway 16 downwind at UT25. Pilot overshot first approach. Pilot noted brush overhanging runway. Second approach was better. Pilot flared into 3 point attitude but right wing struck brush which pulled aircraft to the right. Pilot added more power to attempt to escape situation. Plane ground looped and spun 180 degrees. Both wings and prop stuck ground. Broken spar on wings, gear broken, twisted fuselage.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT APPROACHED RUNWAY 16 DOWNWIND AT UT25. PILOT OVERSHOT FIRST APPROACH. PILOT NOTED BRUSH OVERHANGING RUNWAY. SECOND APPROACH WAS BETTER. PILOT FLARED INTO 3 POINT ATTITUDE BUT RIGHT WING STRUCK BRUSH WHICH PULLED AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. PILOT ADDED MORE POWER TO ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE SITUATION. PLANE GROUND LOOPED AND SPUN 180 DEGREES. BOTH WINGS AND PROP STUCK GROUND. BROKEN SPAR ON WINGS, GEAR BROKEN, TWISTED FUSELAGE.