- Date
- August 12, 1995, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N540RJPitts S-2B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950812023489A
- Case key
- 29186
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 inadequate supervision by the instructor pilot by allowing the trainee to initiate a late go-around from a simulated forced landing.
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 instructor pilot simulated an engine out forced landing to a closed airstrip. At 200 feet above the ground, the pilot receiving the instruction initiated power to go-around. The engine momentarily hesitated and then regained full power, at this time the aircraft touched down and the left wing collided with a bush. The pilots reported no mechanical problems.
Factual narrative
On August 12, 1995, at 0930 hours mountain standard time, the two pilots of a Pitts S-2B, N540RJ, collided with some brushes during a go-around after a simulated forced landing to a closed dirt airstrip near Phoenix, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time for the local instructional flight. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the two pilots received no injuries. The flight originated from the airport at Scottsdale, Arizona, at 0900.
The instructor pilot stated in a telephone interview that after simulating the forced landing and gliding to 200 feet above ground level, the pilot in the rear seat flying the aircraft initiated a go-around by applying power. The engine seemed to hesitate momentarily and then responded with full power. At this time, the aircraft touched down, followed by the left wing colliding with some bushes. The pilot reported no other mechanical problems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N540RJ
- Reported as
- Pitts S-2B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5173
- Airframe hours
- 858
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Acroholics Unlimited, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 2, 1995 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 8,351 total · 300 in this make and model · 8,172 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.