- Date
- June 29, 1991, 13:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Royse City, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4PWPaul M. F. Walker Pitts S-1-C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910629024799A
- Case key
- 23189
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 performance of an aerobatic maneuver at an altitude too low to allow recovery.
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
During climbout, just after takeoff, the pilot performed a snap roll. After the 360 degree snap roll, the airplane collided with the terrain, main landing gear first. The airplane nosed over, bounced, and came to rest semi-erect on the propeller.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4PW
- Reported as
- Paul M. F. Walker Pitts S-1-C (PITTS S-1-)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 470H
- Airframe hours
- 600
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ryan Brown Seals
- Registered owner
- Ryan Brown Seals
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 30, 1990 · 152 hours before
- Airport
- 68TS · Bishop Field, runway 21, 3,500 × 30 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
- 71
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,800 total · 550 in this make and model · 7,800 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.