# Accident 20250130000669A: Aviat Inc PITTS S-2B, Vero Beach, FL, January 30, 2025 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 30, 2025, 10:33 local time - Place: Vero Beach, FL - Airport: Vero Beach Regional - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.6804° N, 80.5232° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.6804&lon=-80.5232&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8ZT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8ZT-2025-08-08) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aviat PITTS S-2B (registry code 2210308, https://openairdocs.org/model/aviat-pitts-s-2b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AVIAT INC PITTS S-2B - Reported engine: LYCOMING AEIO-540-D4A5 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,722 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA25LA107](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA107) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250130000669A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## 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 ERA25LA107](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA107), Jan 30, 2025: Aviat Pitts S-2B (N8ZT), Fellsmere, FL, investigation ongoing ## Other reports on N8ZT (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20101029051321A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20101029051321A), Oct 29, 2010: Aviat Inc PITTS S-2B (N8ZT), Hilton Head Isl, SC, Substantial damage. On 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… - [Incident 20010502008799I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010502008799I), May 2, 2001: Aviat PITTSS2B (N8ZT), Bridgeport, CT, Minor damage. (-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… 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.