- Date
- May 26, 2000, 10:35 local (14:35 UTC)
- Place
- Pittsfield, ME
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8872de Havilland DH-82A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000526039449A
- Case key
- 49291
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 unsuitable terrain for landing. A factor in the accident was the soft terrain.
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 airplane touched down normally in a grass area parallel to a closed asphalt runway. During the rollout, the airplane proceeded over a 'soft spot,' nosed over, and came to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On May 26, 2000, about 1035 Eastern Daylight Time, a de Havilland DH-82A "Tiger Moth," N8872, was substantially damaged while landing at the Pittsfield Municipal Airport, Pittsfield, Maine. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, the airplane touched down normally in a grass area parallel to a closed asphalt runway. During the rollout, the airplane proceeded over a "soft spot," nosed over, and came to rest inverted.
The winds reported at an airport located 23 miles to the east at 1053, were 260 degrees at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8872
- Reported as
- de Havilland DH-82A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- PG-625
- Engine
- de Havilland GYPSY MAJOR, 132 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kenneth Cianchette
- Registered owner
- Chucks Aircraft LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 1999 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 2B7
- Airport
- 2B7 · Pittsfield Muni Airport
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
- 76
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 20 in this make and model · 21 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BGR, 23 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.
Other investigations on N8872 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.