- Date
- May 31, 2014, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Grants, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9YHAviat Pitts S 2B
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Case key
- 90479
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 pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing in gusty wind conditions.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was hired to reposition the airplane for the owner. According to the owner who spoke with the pilot, during the landing, the pilot encountered gusty winds which caused him to lose airplane control and impact terrain adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The owner stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane owner completed the Pilot/Operator Accident Report (National Transportation Safety Board [NTSB] Form 6120.1), as the owner reported the pilot was uncooperative since the accident. The substantial damage to the airplane was reported to the NTSB on December 9, 2014, after a detailed inspection of the airplane damage was performed.
Factual narrative
The pilot was hired to reposition the airplane for the owner. According to the owner who spoke with the pilot, during the landing, the pilot encountered gusty winds which caused him to lose airplane control and impact terrain adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The owner stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane owner completed the Pilot/Operator Accident Report (National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Form 6120.1), as the owner reported the pilot was uncooperative since the accident. The substantial damage to the airplane was reported to the NTSB on December 9, 2014, after a detailed inspection of the airplane damage was performed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9YH
- Reported as
- Aviat Pitts S 2B (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5348
- Built
- 1996
- Airframe hours
- 337
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 14, 2014
- Departed
- 0E0 · Moriarty, NM
- Destination
- GNT · Grants, NM
- Airport
- GNT · Grants-Milan, runway 13, 7,172 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 900 total · 800 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 17, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.