- Date
- September 20, 1993, 09:04 local (16:04 UTC)
- Place
- Hawthorne, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N88EWChristen Industries Pitts S-2B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930920035249A
- Case key
- 28481
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
dual student's failure to maintain directional control and improper use of the rudder and the CFI's inadequate supervision of the flight.
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 certificated private pilot/dual student was receiving instruction in a conventional gear (tailwheel) airplane. During the roll-out on the second landing, the airplane began to drift to the right. The CFI instructed the dual student to apply left rudder. The dual student applied full left rudder and the airplane swerved violently to the left. The CFI was unable to arrest the violent left turn and the airplane exited the runway and ground looped.
Factual narrative
On September 20, 1993, at 0904 hours Pacific daylight time, a Christen Industries, Inc., Pitts S-2B, N88EW, ground looped during the landing roll-out on runway 25 at Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Hawthorne, California. The pilots were conducting a local visual flight rules instructional flight. The airplane, operated by the flight instructor, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated airline transport pilot/flight instructor (CFI) nor the certificated private pilot/dual student was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Hawthorne Municipal Airport at 0840 hours.
The CFI reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2, and in a subsequent telephone interview, that the he was providing dual instruction so that the private pilot could "check-out" in conventional gear (tailwheel) airplanes. The dual student landed normally on the second landing. During the landing roll-out, the airplane began to drift to the right. The CFI instructed the dual student to apply left rudder to arrest the drift; however, the dual student applied "full left" rudder and the airplane swerved violently to the left. The CFI could not arrest the turn and the airplane "ground looped."
The dual student reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2, that during the landing roll-out the airplane began to drift slowly to the left. The dual student stated he applied full right rudder while the instructor also applied full right rudder and right brake. The airplane continued to turn to the left and exited the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88EW
- Reported as
- Christen Industries Pitts S-2B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5073
- Airframe hours
- 1,102
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-540-A4D4, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hare, Eli W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 1993 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- HHR
- Airport
- HHR · Hawthorne Muni Airport, runway 25, 4,956 × 100 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
- 57
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 13,760 total · 1,300 in this make and model · 13,550 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft overcast
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HHR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N88EW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.