- Date
- September 17, 2016, 11:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N91JWAerotek Pitts Special
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 4, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160917025059A
- Case key
- 94059
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, which resulted in a ground loop.
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
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane, during the landing roll, the tailwheel became "stuck" in an expansion joint that runs down the centerline of the runway. She reported that when the tailwheel became unstuck, the biplane "swung wildly to the left," the bottom right wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway after turning 180° to the left. A video of the accident, taken by a camera mounted on the accident biplane and posted on social media, revealed that the biplane touched down on the runway to the left of the centerline. During the landing roll and after crossing the taxiway A2 intersection, the biplane began drifting right. The tailwheel is seen crossing the centerline expansion joint about 30° to the joint and then rolling over the joint without hesitation. The tail is then seen swinging to the right at an increasing rate. The biplane ground looped to the left, and the bottom right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane, during the landing roll the tailwheel became "stuck" in an expansion joint that runs down the centerline of the runway. She reported that when the tailwheel came unstuck, the biplane "swung wildly to the left", the bottom right wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway after turning 180° to the left. A video of the accident, taken by a camera mounted on the accident biplane and posted on social media revealed that the biplane touched down on the runway to the left of the centerline. During the landing roll, after crossing the taxiway A2 intersection, the biplane began drifting to the right. The tailwheel is seen crossing the centerline expansion joint about 30° to the joint, and rolls over the joint without hesitation. The tail is then seen swinging to the right at an increasing rate. The biplane ground looped to the left and the bottom right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91JW
- Reported as
- Aerotek Pitts Special (S-1S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1-0023
- Airframe hours
- 1,226
- Engine
- Aero Sport Power AEIO-360-B4A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air race/show · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 2015
- Departed
- RTS · Reno, NV
- Destination
- RTS · Reno, NV
- Airport
- RTS · Reno/Stead, runway 08, 7,608 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 28, 2015
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 300 in this make and model · 1,200 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KRTS
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 16, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB 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.