- Date
- April 20, 1985, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Marlette, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3FWWheat Pitts S-1-S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850420013619A
- Case key
- 13045
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.
Analysis
100 Yards from end of rwy on final apch plt lost rudder control. During landing roll as airspeed and aileron control effectiveness decreased the acft veered off the side of the rwy. The lower left wing contacted a VASI light. Inspection revealed right side rudder cable failed aprx 2 ft from rudder attach point. Cable appeared to be chafed or cut through 1/2 the circumference. Remaining portion appears to have failed from instantaneous tensile overload.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3FW
- Reported as
- Wheat Pitts S-1-S (PITTS S-1-)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 7001
- Airframe hours
- 540
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B4A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Walter R. Fassnacht
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 21, 1984 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- D98 · Romeo, MI
- Airport
- 77G · Marlette, runway 19, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5,050 total · 500 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FNT, 36 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.