- Date
- October 19, 1991, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Franklinville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4241ZDon Jackman Pitts S-1S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911019047049A
- Case key
- 8539
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 proper clearance from the power line.
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 commercial pilot stated that he was attempting a low pass over the field in order for personnel on the ground to photograph the aircraft. He stated he had forgotten about the presence of the power lines, and the aircraft struck the power lines during the maneuver. The aircraft impacted the terrain of the airport and flipped over onto it's back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4241Z
- Reported as
- Don Jackman Pitts S-1S
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 7-0455
- Airframe hours
- 182
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C2C, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Davis, Jeffrey W.
- Registered owner
- Davis, Jeffrey W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 18, 1991 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE · York Field, runway 2, 3,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 38
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,291 total · 132 in this make and model · 1,220 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GSO, 24 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.
Other investigations on N4241Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.