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20250130000669A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Aviat PITTS S-2B · Vero Beach, FL · January 30, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 30, 2025 · 10:33 local
Place
Vero Beach, FL
Airport
Vero Beach Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8ZT
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA25LA107
Reported as
Aviat Pitts S-2B
Reported engine
Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,722 in this make and model
N8ZTRegistration cancelled Aug 8, 2025 · Aviat PITTS S-2BS/N 5293 · Built 1993Airframe modelAviat PITTS S-2BEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

On 1/30/2025, at approximately 10:31 am (EST), the accident aircraft was inbound to vrb airport. The pilot was cleared for a straight in 7 mile approach to runway 12. At approximately 10:33 am the pilot contacted ATC, and stated, "I got a problem" and "I can't make the runway". ATC responded with "how can we help you'" the pilot responded, "not sure, gotta land", followed by "ok, I lost it." No further communications from the accident aircraft.

FAA investigator was notified at approximately 12:01 pm on 1/30/2025 of the accident and location. The aircraft impacted the ground, nose down, in a pasture located east of I-95, between Vero Beach and fellesmere. The aircraft wreckage was facing a north direction. The impact crater was approximately 1.5 feet deep and within 10 feet north of the aircraft wreckage. One propeller blade was broken off of the hub and partially buried in the crater. The second propeller blade was found approximately 50 feet to the north of the aircraft wreckage. The airframe was bent 90 degrees laterally from the engine mount / firewall in a scorpion pattern consistent with vertical nose-down impact.

The master switch, alternator field switch and fuel pump switch were all discoverd in the "on" position. All circuit breakers, except for the "alt 50A", were in. There was no indication of fuel at the impact site, and no fuel was present within the tanks.

A witness working near the accident site stated he saw the accident aircraft at approximately 10:30 am. He stated the aircraft passed from west to east, approximately a quarter of a mile south of his location. The witness states that the airplane began to "sputter", climb and rock his wings. The aircraft then began a climbing circle. The aircraft engine sputtered and stopped. Then the aircraft angled nose down and impacted the ground nose first. The witness, then immediately called 911 and reported the accident. The witness reported that there was no post crash fire, and the pilot was severely injured.

Additional witnesses working at privacy data omitted maintenance center stated that they saw the accident aircraft taxi onto the ramp for self serve fuel. The aircraft engine shut down and restarted its engine approximately 30 seconds later. The aircraft departed the self serve fueling area without refueling.

As the FAA filed it

ON 1/30/2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:31 AM (EST), THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS INBOUND TO VRB AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR A STRAIGHT IN 7 MILE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 12. AT APPROXIMATELY 10:33 AM THE PILOT CONTACTED ATC, AND STATED, "I GOT A PROBLEM" AND "I CAN'T MAKE THE RUNWAY". ATC RESPONDED WITH "HOW CAN WE HELP YOU'" THE PILOT RESPONDED, "NOT SURE, GOTTA LAND", FOLLOWED BY "OK, I LOST IT." NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT.

FAA INVESTIGATOR WAS NOTIFIED AT APPROXIMATELY 12:01 PM ON 1/30/2025 OF THE ACCIDENT AND LOCATION. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, NOSE DOWN, IN A PASTURE LOCATED EAST OF I-95, BETWEEN VERO BEACH AND FELLESMERE. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS FACING A NORTH DIRECTION. THE IMPACT CRATER WAS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 FEET DEEP AND WITHIN 10 FEET NORTH OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE. ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BROKEN OFF OF THE HUB AND PARTIALLY BURIED IN THE CRATER. THE SECOND PROPELLER BLADE WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET TO THE NORTH OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE. THE AIRFRAME WAS BENT 90 DEGREES LATERALLY FROM THE ENGINE MOUNT / FIREWALL IN A SCORPION PATTERN CONSISTENT WITH VERTICAL NOSE-DOWN IMPACT.

THE MASTER SWITCH, ALTERNATOR FIELD SWITCH AND FUEL PUMP SWITCH WERE ALL DISCOVERD IN THE "ON" POSITION. ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS, EXCEPT FOR THE "ALT 50A", WERE IN. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FUEL AT THE IMPACT SITE, AND NO FUEL WAS PRESENT WITHIN THE TANKS.

A WITNESS WORKING NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED HE SAW THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 AM. HE STATED THE AIRCRAFT PASSED FROM WEST TO EAST, APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER OF A MILE SOUTH OF HIS LOCATION. THE WITNESS STATES THAT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO "SPUTTER", CLIMB AND ROCK HIS WINGS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGAN A CLIMBING CIRCLE. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE SPUTTERED AND STOPPED. THEN THE AIRCRAFT ANGLED NOSE DOWN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE FIRST. THE WITNESS, THEN IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND REPORTED THE ACCIDENT. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE, AND THE PILOT WAS SEVERELY INJURED.

ADDITIONAL WITNESSES WORKING AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MAINTENANCE CENTER STATED THAT THEY SAW THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT TAXI ONTO THE RAMP FOR SELF SERVE FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED ITS ENGINE APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS LATER. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE SELF SERVE FUELING AREA WITHOUT REFUELING.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB ERA25LA107AccidentClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary reportFellsmere, FLOn January 30, 2025, at 1034 eastern standard time, an Aviat Inc Pitts S-2B, N8ZT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fellsmere, Florida. The private pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of…Jan 30, 2025

Other reports on N8ZT · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20101029051321ATaxi · Hilton Head Isl, SCOn October 29, 2010 at 14:15 hours local the pilot of N8ZT was given instruction by the air traffic control tower to taxi to runway 03. VMC conditions prevailed and taxi surface was dry. N8ZT is a conventional gear aircraft and was observed at least once…Oct 29, 2010 · Substantial damageIncident 20010502008799ILevel Off Touchdown · Bridgeport, CT(-23)The pilot stated that he was flying N8ZT from the front seat(where the visibility is more limited than the back seat) and touched down on the left wheel first. The left brake engaged and the airplane started to ground loop. There was a scratch on the…May 2, 2001 · Minor damage