- Date
- May 24, 2009, 16:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Beaver Falls, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N55MFAerotek Pitts Spec
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090524011839A
- Case key
- 73903
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 directional control of the airplane during the landing rollout.
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 completed three orbits above the airfield before attempting to land on runway 28. During the landing the airplane became unstable. The pilot applied rapid deflections of the rudder and kept the airplane straight momentarily, but ultimately it continued veering to the left. He applied full right rudder, full right brake , and power. In the process, the airplane “tipped forward” onto the right main landing gear and rolled onto the right wing tip. The propeller contacted the runway several times before the airplane exited the left side of the runway at about a 70-degree angle and nosed over. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical difficulties with the airplane. Wind at the time was from the southwest at approximately 7 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot completed three orbits above the airfield before attempting to land on runway 28. During the landing, the airplane became unstable. The pilot applied rapid deflections of the rudder and kept the airplane straight momentarily, but ultimately, it continued veering to the left. He applied full right rudder, full right break, and power. In the process, the airplane “tipped forward” onto the right main landing gear and rolled onto the right wingtip. The propeller contacted the runway several times before the airplane exited the left side of the runway at about a 70 degree angle, and nosed over. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical difficulties with the airplane. Wind at the time was from the south west approximately 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55MF
- Reported as
- Aerotek Pitts Spec
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- KA-102
- Airframe hours
- 1,282
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-B4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 24, 2009 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- Beaver Falls, PA
- Destination
- KBVI · Beaver Falls, PA
- Airport
- BVI · Beaver County Airport, runway 28, 4,501 × 100 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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 10, 2009
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 30,000 total · 5 in this make and model · 25,940 as pilot in command · 255 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KBVI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 23, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 429 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.