- Date
- August 5, 1990, 17:22 local (22:22 UTC)
- Place
- Springfield, IL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N260RMPitts S2B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900805030049A
- Case key
- 14501
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to maintain flying speed and allowed the aircraft to stall during the break turn to downwind.
Analysis
The pilot took off and climbed into the traffic pattern for a touch-and-go. He requested and was cleared for a break turn to downwind. Witnesses report an abrupt left turn toward the downwind during which the airplane commenced a left spinning descent to collision with the ground. No mechanical descrepancy was found with the airframe or engine.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N260RM
- Reported as
- Pitts S2B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5161
- Airframe hours
- 46
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Regal Quality Air, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Regal Quality Air, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 2, 1990 · 11 hours before
- Airport
- SPI · Capital, runway 30, 5,300 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 778 total · 7 in this make and model · 676 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SPI, 1 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.