- Date
- October 11, 1999, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Salinas, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N50ALPitts S2B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19991011043169A
- Case key
- 47597
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 inadequate compensation for the effects of torque and P-factor during a go-around from a bounced landing, which led to a loss of control and the inadvertent dragging of a wing.
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
Calm wind conditions prevailed as the pilot completed six touch-and-go landings. On the next landing the airplane bounced, and the pilot initiated a go-around as part of the recovery attempt. He said the airplane veered left off the runway heading and was going toward the control tower. He banked right to return to the runway centerline and the right wing tip drug the ground. The airplane then settled into the ground and the wing and propeller were damaged.
Factual narrative
On October 11, 1999, about 1100 hours Pacific daylight time, a Pitts S2B, N50AL, drug a wing during a go-around from a bounced landing while practicing touch-and-go landings at the Salinas, California, municipal airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and was not injured. The local personal flight departed Salinas at 1000. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and included calm wind conditions. No flight plan was filed.
The pilot stated he completed six touch-and-go landings. On the next landing the airplane bounced, and the pilot initiated a go-around as part of the recovery attempt. He said the airplane veered left off the runway heading and was going toward the control tower. He banked right to return to the runway centerline and the right wing tip drug the ground. The airplane then settled into the ground and the wing and propeller were damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50AL
- Reported as
- Pitts S2B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5067
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nobuyuki Tsugita
- Registered owner
- Pitts S2b LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Departed
- SNS
- Airport
- SNS · Salinas Muni, runway 26, 5,005 × 150 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
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 227 total · 100 in this make and model · 109 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SNS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.