- Date
- June 11, 1990, 09:55 local (16:55 UTC)
- Place
- Thermal, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N29MCAerotek Pitts S2A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900611019859A
- Case key
- 26635
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 handling of the airplane during an aerobatic maneuver.
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
During the preceding week the pilot had been regularly practicing aerobatics. During the preceding 6 months the pilot had received 15 hours of aerobatics instruction. On the day of the accident the pilot departed Thermal airport to practice aerobatics. The wreckage was found the following day. Ground scars and wreckage examination indicate that the airplane impacted in an inverted, wings level, 75 deg nose-down attitude, and at an extremely high velocity.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29MC
- Reported as
- Aerotek Pitts S2A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2095
- Airframe hours
- 997
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-A1A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Nine One Seventy, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1990 · 7 hours before
- Airport
- TRM · Thermal
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 732 total · 28 in this make and model · 662 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.