- Date
- August 20, 2011, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bessemer, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2997GPitts Special
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110820020639A
- Case key
- 81619
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 during the landing roll.
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
At the conclusion of the pilot's second flight in the accident airplane, he landed at the destination airport. During the landing roll, the airplane began to drift to the right. The pilot attempted to correct the drift by applying left rudder, but the airplane continued to the right. He then applied what he thought was the maximum left brake and rudder to counteract the drift, but the airplane continued off the right side of the runway, impacted a taxiway sign, came to rest in a grassy area, and sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot later determined that, due to his large stature, his foot was likely contacting the firewall instead of the rudder pedal, which inhibited him from applying maximum left brake and rudder. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
At the conclusion of the pilot's second flight in the accident airplane, he landed the airplane at the destination airport. During the landing rollout, the airplane began to drift to the right. The pilot attempted to correct the drift by applying left rudder but the airplane continued to the right. He then applied what he thought was the maximum left brake and rudder to counteract the drift, but the airplane continued off the right side of the runway, impacted a taxiway sign, and came to rest in a grassy area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot later determined that due to his large stature, his foot was likely contacting the firewall instead of the rudder pedal, which inhibited him from applying maximum left brake and rudder. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2997G
- Reported as
- Pitts Special
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- BM-01
- Airframe hours
- 1,954
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-320 SER, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stephen L. Garrison
- Registered owner
- Stephen L. Garrison
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- LUL · Laurel, MS
- Destination
- EKY · Bessemer, AL
- Airport
- EKY · Bessemer Airport, runway 05, 6,007 × 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 3, 2011
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 928 total · 5 in this make and model · 893 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- EET, 11 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 30, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 476 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.
Other investigations on N2997G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.