- Date
- March 2, 1985, 10:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Yuma, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N913SSevdy Pitts Special 104
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850302008589A
- Case key
- 24667
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
While practicing aerobatics for an airshow, the plt entered a spin. During the spin maneuver, the eng sputtered, lost power & the prop stopped turning. The acft was not equipped with an electric starter, so the plt tried to windmill the prop by diving, but was unable. The acft was near an 1800 ft ag strip, so the plt elected to make a forced landing there. However, on final apch, the landing gear struck a dirt embankment of an irrigation ditch, just short of the airstrip. The acft then nosed over & came to rest in the ditch. During an exam, a lack of compression was found in the #1 & #3 cylinders; however, no preimpact part failure or malfunction was verified.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N913S
- Reported as
- Sevdy Pitts Special 104
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 105
- Airframe hours
- 890
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C2C, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert Finer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 15, 1985 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- YUM · Yuma, AZ
- Airport
- Ag Strip
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,626 total · 72 in this make and model · 1,376 as pilot in command · 57 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.