- Date
- July 9, 1989, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Butler, TN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8336Pitts S-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890709021189A
- Case key
- 7845
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from the surface during an impromptu acrobatic maneuver.
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.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he had initiated an immelman. During the maneuver he changed his mind. He attempted to complete the maneuver with a loop. There was insufficient altitude to recover and he crashed into the lake.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8336
- Reported as
- Pitts S-1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 22436
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Frank Lon Tester
- Departed
- 6A4 · Mountain City, TN
- Destination
- MOR · Morristown, TN
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 150 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- TRI, 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.