- Date
- November 3, 1990, 12:53 local (18:53 UTC)
- Place
- Dekalb, IL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N983BWPitts Special S1-S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901103048539A
- Case key
- 14820
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 attempt to perform aerobatic maneuvers at low altitude.
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
A private pilot refueled his homebuilt aircraft and talked with acquaintences and service personnel before takeoff. Witnesses on the flight line describe a normal takeoff to less than 100 feet above the runway, where the airplane pushed over and accelerated in level flight. Abeam the terminal and flight line, the airplane rolled right to the inverted position and paused before continuing its right roll. The airplane struck ground with the right wingtip short of a complete revolution.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N983BW
- Reported as
- Pitts Special S1-S (SPECIAL S1)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- X
- Airframe hours
- 232
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A4A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Morgan, Mark William
- Registered owner
- Mark W Morgan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 3, 1990 · 15 hours before
- Airport
- DKB · Dekalb Taylor Muni, runway 27, 4,200 × 50 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 405 total · 27 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Observed at
- DPA, 22 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.