- Date
- March 11, 1998, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Zephyrhills, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N99PFPitts S1-S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 13, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980311006849A
- Case key
- 38472
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 improper use of flight controls (ailerons) during a touch-and-go landing with a crosswind, resulting in a loss of directional control and subsequent nose over of the airplane. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's lack of total experience in kind of aircraft.
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 pilot stated he was making a touch-and-go landing with a crosswind, and had not applied sufficient aileron for the crosswind. He lost directional control of the airplane, and it subsequently nosed over. The pilot had a total of 14.4 hours in the Pitt S1-S airplane.
Factual narrative
On March 11, 1998, about 1020 eastern standard time, a Pitts, S1-S, N99PF, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, experienced a loss of directional control and crashed during a touch-and-go landing at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, Zephyrhills, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot reported minor injuries. The flight originated from Zephyrhills, about 40 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he made one touch-and-go landing to runway 04. He moved over to runway 36 and completed five more touch-and-go landings. He was starting the touch-and-go portion of the sixth landing, and did not have sufficient aileron applied for the crosswind. The airplane swerved to the left, he applied right rudder, lost directional control, and the airplane nosed over inverted.
Review of the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report indicates the pilot has a total of 290 hours total flight time with 14.4 hours in the Pitt S1-S airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99PF
- Reported as
- Pitts S1-S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1-0006
- Airframe hours
- 1,088
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Svein O. Sorvick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 1, 1997 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- ZPH
- Airport
- ZPH · Zephyrhills Municipal, runway 36, 5,000 × 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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 240 total · 14 in this make and model · 190 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 52 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TPA, 35 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.