- Date
- June 2, 1982, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Cruz, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19820602026391A19820602026392A
- Case key
- 72532
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The pilot of the Piper PA-28 reported that he was on final approach at approximately 50 ft AGL when his aircraft was struck from behind and below by a pitts/skyote S-1, N25PB. He continued the landing, but during the landing roll, the Piper PA-28 veered off the left side of the runway. The pilot of the pitts aircraft went around and landed with no further incident. An examination of the Piper PA-28 revealed 5 propeller strikes on the lower fuselage, 1STRIKE on the left flap, and strikes on the left wheel fairing and tire.
During a landing approach, the pilot of a homebuilt pitts aircraft encountered the crosswind, aborted the landing and reentered on downwind. After turning final, he saw a Piper PA-28, N40951, directly ahead. He moved the stick full forward and to the left to avoid a collision. However, the propeller of the pitts struck the lower fuselage, left flap, and left wheel fairing and tire of the PA-28. After the collision the pilot of the pitts aircraft went around and landed without further incident. The PA-28 pilot continued his landing, but the plane swerved to the left side of the runway during landing roll. A witness stated that the collision occurred at about 50 ft AGL. The pilot of the Piper PA-28 reported that his plane was struck from behind and below.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N25PB
- Reported as
- Pitts S-1 (Bartoe/Skyote) (S-1 (BARTO)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1-001
- Airframe hours
- 80
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Peter Wright Bell
- Registered owner
- Peter Wright Bell
- Departed
- SRU · Santa Cruz, CA
- Destination
- SRU · Santa Cruz, CA
- Airport
- SRU · Skypark, runway 31, 2,520 × 60 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.
- Registration
- N40951
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7425193
- Airframe hours
- 1,244
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E30, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert Richard George
- Registered owner
- Robert Richard George
- Departed
- SRU · Santa Cruz, CA
- Destination
- SRU · Santa Cruz, CA
- Airport
- SRU · Skypark, runway 31, 2,520 × 60 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N25PB
- Age
- 29
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 200 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N40951
- Age
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 34 in this make and model · 350 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 149 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.