- Date
- March 8, 2017, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1230SAerotek Pitts S-2A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170308001209A
- Case key
- 94851
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 in crosswind conditions.
Findings · 4
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, after completing 12 to 13 touch-and-go landings on a grass runway in crosswind conditions, he planned to complete a full-stop landing. He added that, during the landing roll, the airplane "departed the runway to the right" into marshy terrain and nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to a Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector, a few hours after the accident, he examined the grass runway and found no abnormalities with the surface. The nearest automated weather observation station, located 12 nautical miles from the accident airport, about the time of the accident, recorded wind from 190° at 7 knots. The pilot reported that he landed on runway 26 left.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that after 12 to 13 touch-and-go landings on a grass runway in crosswind conditions, he planned to complete a full stop landing. He added that during the landing roll, the airplane "departed the runway to the right" into marshy terrain and nosed over. The vertical stabilizer and rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to a Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector, a few hours after the accident he inspected the grass runway and found no abnormalities with the surface. The nearest automated weather observation station 12 nautical miles from the accident airport, about the time of the accident, recorded wind 190° at 7 knots. The pilot reported that he landed on runway 26 left.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1230S
- Reported as
- Aerotek Pitts S-2A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2216
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 1,359.15
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-AIE, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 29, 2016
- Departed
- F45 · West Palm Beach, FL
- Destination
- F45 · West Palm Beach, FL
- Airport
- F45 · North Palm Beach County Genera, runway 26R, 3,679 × 75 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 15, 2016
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 22,000 total · 13 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- KPBI, 12 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 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.