- Date
- June 4, 2000, 08:20 local (12:20 UTC)
- Place
- Meriden, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N63DMMeadows Pitts Special S-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000604040099A
- Case key
- 49350
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 loss of control of the airplane during the landing roll, due to his locking of the brakes.
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 touchdown, the tailwheel-equipped airplane was on the left side of the runway, so the pilot applied right rudder. The airplane then veered to the right, so the pilot applied left rudder. The airplane continued to the right, so the pilot applied, then locked the brakes while the airplane was still traveling about 30 miles per hour. The airplane flipped over its nose, and onto its back. Winds, around the time of the accident, were calm.
Factual narrative
On June 4, 2000, at 0820 Eastern Daylight Time, a homebuilt Pitts Special S-1, N63DM, was substantially damaged during a landing at Meriden Markham Municipal Airport (MMK), Meriden, Connecticut. The certificated private pilot was not injured, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the flight, between Danbury Municipal Airport (DXR), Danbury, Connecticut, and Meriden. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he landed the airplane on Runway 18. Upon touchdown, the tailwheel-equipped airplane appeared to be on the left side of the runway, so the pilot applied right rudder. The airplane then veered to the right, so the pilot applied left rudder. The airplane continued to the right, so the pilot applied, and then locked, the brakes. The airplane flipped over its nose, and onto its back.
The pilot estimated the airspeed of the airplane to be at 30 miles per hour when the accident occurred.
Winds, recorded at the airport 24 minutes before the accident, were calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63DM
- Reported as
- Meadows Pitts Special S-1 (PITTS SPEC)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- DM-2
- Airframe hours
- 458
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Frederick Ackermann
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2000 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- DXR · Danbury, CT
- Destination
- MMK
- Airport
- MMK · Meridian Markham Muni, runway 18, 3,100 × 75 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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 853 total · 29 in this make and model · 763 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MMK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.