20250620008429A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Pitts Aerobatics S-2B · Broadway, NC · June 20, 2025

Date: June 20, 2025 · 09:00 local
Place: Broadway, NC
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N79AV
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA25FA231
Reported as: Pitts Aerobatics S-2B
Reported engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 290 total27 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days

N79AVRegistered now · Pitts Aerobatics S-2BS/N 5114 · Built 1986 Airframe modelPitts Aerobatics S-2B Engine modelLycoming AEIO-540 seriesReciprocating

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.

A Pitts Aerobatics S-2B departed raleigh executive jetport (ktta) with two people on-board at 0853 on 06/20/2025 for a personal flight. Aircraft turned left to the southwest after departure and flew south then turned in a southeasterly direction and climebed to an altitude of about 4100' MSL. At 0859, the ADS-B

Data revealed the airplane made a tight, left 360° turn and then continued on its previous course. About 1 minute laster, the aircraft began a left turn and a steep descent and did not recover. The aircraft impacted a small embankment betwenn two structures seven minutes after flight began. It came to rest on a gravel and concrete driveway of a boat sales company. A post crash fire destroyed the aircraft. Both persons on-board perished. According to witnesses who observed the accident, the airplane was spinning in a nose-down attitude before inpacting terrain. Multiple witnesses also reported that they could hear the engine running the entire duration of flight.

As the FAA filed it

A PITTS AEROBATICS S-2B DEPARTED RALEIGH EXECUTIVE JETPORT (KTTA) WITH TWO PEOPLE ON-BOARD AT 0853 ON 06/20/2025 FOR A PERSONAL FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT TURNED LEFT TO THE SOUTHWEST AFTER DEPARTURE AND FLEW SOUTH THEN TURNED IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION AND CLIMEBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 4100' MSL. AT 0859, THE ADS-B

DATA REVEALED THE AIRPLANE MADE A TIGHT, LEFT 360° TURN AND THEN CONTINUED ON ITS PREVIOUS COURSE. ABOUT 1 MINUTE LASTER, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A LEFT TURN AND A STEEP DESCENT AND DID NOT RECOVER. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A SMALL EMBANKMENT BETWENN TWO STRUCTURES SEVEN MINUTES AFTER FLIGHT BEGAN. IT CAME TO REST ON A GRAVEL AND CONCRETE DRIVEWAY OF A BOAT SALES COMPANY. A POST CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH PERSONS ON-BOARD PERISHED. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES WHO OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE WAS SPINNING IN A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE BEFORE INPACTING TERRAIN. MULTIPLE WITNESSES ALSO REPORTED THAT THEY COULD HEAR THE ENGINE RUNNING THE ENTIRE DURATION OF FLIGHT.

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 ERA25FA231Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldPreliminary reportBroadway, NCOn June 20, 2025, at 0900 eastern daylight time, a Pitts Aerobatics S-2B, N79AV, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Broadway, North Carolina. The private pilot and the commercial pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was…Jun 20, 2025 · Substantial damage