- Date
- March 7, 1993, 15:08 local (20:08 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsboro, MD
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N12QWPitts S-2B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930307004369A
- Case key
- 11913
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed, while performing aerobatic maneuvers, which resulted in an inadvertent flat spin and an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
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 while practicing aerobatics, at an altitude of approximately 3500 feet, he was just finishing an immelman, when the airplane inadvertently went into a flat spin. He stated he tried to recover, but was unable to do so. The last thing he remembered was looking down at the terrain from about 800 feet. Witnesses stated that they saw and heard the airplane while it was being maneuvered, then suddenly, there was silence. They looked up for the airplane and saw it descending through about 1000 feet above the ground. They stated the airplane's nose rose about 30 degrees above the ground; however, they lost sight of the airplane at tree top level. An on scene investigation revealed the airplane impacted the ground in a flat attitude. No mechanical anomalies were found with either the engine or airframe.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12QW
- Reported as
- Pitts S-2B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5053
- Airframe hours
- 1,167
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lynn Associates, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Lynn Associates, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 20, 1992 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- ANP · Lee Airport, MD
- Destination
- ESN · Easton, MD
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 889 total · 68 in this make and model · 753 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ADW, 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.