- Date
- April 7, 1986, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Homestead, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N501LPitts Special
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860407009989A
- Case key
- 31495
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The plt was on a flt to practice aerobatic mnvrs in a designated practice area. A witness, who was driving nearby, stated that he saw the acft 'falling straight down' & crash in a tomato field. An investigation revealed evidence that the acft had impacted in a steep nose down, rgt wing low attitude. No fuel was found in the acft's fuel sys & no evidence of a fuel spill was noted. Also, no preimpact part failure or malfunction was found. Toxicology checks indicated there was a slight amount of alcohol in the plt's blood, but no alcohol was detected in his stomach contents or urine.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N501L
- Reported as
- Pitts Special
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- L-1
- Airframe hours
- 797
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert M. Vagner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- TMB · Miami, FL
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TMB, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.