- Date
- March 2, 1985, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Durham, NC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4691Pitts S1C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850302005119A
- Case key
- 6667
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
In flight collision with object
Proper altitude - not obtainedCause
Clearance - not obtainedCause
Diverted attentionFactor
Object - tree(s)
Loss of control - in flight
In flight collision with terrain/water
Analysis
The plt reported he put the acft in a steep bank shortly after takeoff to view his son who was on the ground. He stated he failed to apply back pressure and the acft contacted trees off the end of the rwy. The acft then impacted the gorund.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4691
- Reported as
- Pitts S1C
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- EMJ-1
- Airframe hours
- 389
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-02, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ernest Sterling Gann
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 10, 1984 · 5 hours before
- Airport
- W65 · Durham Skylark, runway 32, 3,000 × 100 ft, dirt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,422 total · 92 in this make and model · 1,315 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- RDU, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.