- Date
- April 23, 1998, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Greenfield, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6027VPitts S-2B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 6, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980423015479A
- Case key
- 30080
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 failure to maintain directional control. A related factor was the proximity of high brush located on both sides of the runway.
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
After landing the aircraft veered right of centerline. The right wing struck high brush and ground looped. The pilot noted no mechanical malfunctions. The dirt strip is approximately 30 to 50 feet wide and brush located on both sides of the runway was approximately 2 to 4 feet tall.
Factual narrative
On April 23, 1998, at 1100 hours Pacific daylight time, a Pitts S-2B, N6027V, struck high brush and ground looped after landing at Metz field, a private dirt strip located in Greenfield, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the commercial rated pilot/owner was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the flight and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that the winds were from 100 degrees at 10 to 15 knots, and that he was landing to the south. After touchdown the aircraft veered to the right of the dirt strip and struck high brush. The pilot stated that the right wing caught on the brush and the aircraft ground looped. He reported that there were no mechanical abnormalities noted with the aircraft.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector from the San Jose, California, Flight Standards District Office reported that the dirt strip is approximately 30 to 50 feet wide. He further reported that on either side of the runway there is brush that is approximately 2 to 4 feet tall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6027V
- Reported as
- Pitts S-2B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5117
- Airframe hours
- 1,111
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gregory R. Fretz
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 28, 1998
- Airport
- Private Dirt Strip, runway 13, 3,500 × 30 ft, dirt
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 970 total · 800 in this make and model · 940 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- 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.
Other investigations on N6027V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.