LAX90FA135

NTSB accident investigation · Gardner Pitts S-1 · Eloy, AZ · April 4, 1990

Accident · FatalField investigationFinal report
Date
April 3, 1990, 18:35 local (Apr 4, 1990, 01:35 UTC)
Place
Eloy, AZ
Injuries
1 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Maneuvering
Aircraft
N104KFGardner Pitts S-1
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 21, 1992
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19900403007439A
Case key
26623

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot delayed the recovery from the inverted flat spin maneuver and misjudged his altitude.

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.

In flight collision with terrain/waterManeuvering
Aerobatics - intentionalPilot in commandFactor
Remedial action - delayedPilot in commandCause
Altitude - misjudgedPilot in commandCause

Analysis

The plt was practicing aerobatics for an upcoming airshow. He landed at Eloy arpt after he had completed one acrobatic sequence. The airshow's narrator, an eminently qualified acrobatic performer, told the pilot that his recovery from the final inverted flat spin maneuver began at too low an altitude. The plt told the narrator that he intended to use an oil filled smoke solution during the recovery from the flat spin maneuver. The narrator cautioned the plt against using smoke during the maneuver, but the plt stated that it enhanced the maneuver from a spactator point of view. The plt departed Eloy and began another acrobatic sequence. The plt entered the final maneuver, an inverted flat spin with the smoke on. This time however he began the recovery at 500 ft, abt 300 ft lower than his previous recovery. The airplane rolled out to the rt-side-up position, but the airspeed was insufficient to arrest the rapid vertical speed descent. The wreckage exam dsclsd no evidence of any airplane/eng. Malfunction or failure.

Aircraft

Registration
N104KF
Reported as
Gardner Pitts S-1
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
FH-1
Airframe hours
420
Engine
Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Ferguson, Kenneth M.
Registered owner
Ferguson, Kenneth M
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · July 13, 1989 · 53 hours before
Airport
E60 · Eloy

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
28
Certificates
Private, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Front
Toxicology
Performed
Flight hours
2,138 total · 112 in this make and model · 1,379 as pilot in command · 164 in the last 90 days · 54 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
50 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
70 °F

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.