# NTSB SEA99LA009: Pitts S-1, N144JS, Mccall, ID, October 23, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 23, 1998, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC) - Place: Mccall, ID - Location: 44.8887° N, 116.1018° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MC CALL MUNI (MYL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.8887&lon=-116.1018&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 11, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 45253 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA99LA009 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/45253/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA009 ## Probable cause The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were the uneven taxiway, inadequate airport maintenance (temporary threshold marking) by the airport management, and a ditch alongside the taxiway. ## Analysis Upon return to the airport after a local flight, the pilot-in-command ascertained that the single north/south runway was closed. He then initiated an approach to the 50-foot wide asphalt parallel taxiway which had been NOTAM'ed by airport management as the alternate landing runway during runway closure. The pilot touched down short of the 1,200 foot displaced threshold of the landing taxiway and rolled over a hump during which the aircraft bounced. The pilot then lost directional control and the aircraft rolled off the taxiway into a drainage ditch alongside the taxiway, coming to rest in a nose-over attitude. The displacement to the taxiway threshold (upwind of the hump) was reported by the FBO to consist of plywood which had not been painted in a conspicuous color and was placed in the grass alongside the taxiway at the intended displacement location. ## Factual narrative On October 23, 1998, approximately 1700 mountain daylight time, a Pitts S-1, N144JS, registered to and being flown by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during a loss of control on landing at the McCall airport, McCall, Idaho. The pilot was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated from McCall approximately 1610. The pilot, interviewed by an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration's Boise Flight Standards District office, reported that he taxied out and departed on runway 34 after determining it was clear, flew a short while and then returned to land. He further reported to the inspector that "on downwind to 34 he saw the large white X on the runway. He did a fly-by to evaluate the runway/taxiway and vacillated on weather [sic] to land on the runway or taxiway. There was no wind and weather was not a factor. He elected to land on the taxiway headed toward the north. As he approached and began the flair [sic] he lost sight over the nose of the aircraft and transitioned to looking out the left side (this is normal operation of a Pitts). All he could see was the grass of the infield, not having the edge of the taxiway to follow he feels this is why he lost directional control. He stated he bounced on landing, further complicating the situation. The right wheel went off the taxiway and the aircraft veered right and went into the drainage ditch ending up on its nose." (Refer to ATTACHMENT FAA-I). The pilot provided a schematic showing where he touched down on the taxiway. This schematic showed the touchdown point approximately 500 feet north of the south end of the parallel taxiway (refer to DIAGRAM I). The pilot also reported on NTSB Form 6120.1/2 that the aircraft suffered no mechanical malfunction or failure at the time of the accident. According to the current US Government Flight Information Publication, the McCall airport is equipped with a single north/south asphalt runway (16/34) which measures 6,126 feet in length and 75 feet in width. A single, parallel asphalt taxiway of about the same length and 50 feet in width exists slightly east of the runway. The airport manager reported that he had "NOTAM-ed the runway closed Oct. 20th (refer to ATTACHMENT N-I) and advised pilots to operate on the parallel taxiway (which had been marked as a runway in its own right prior to this summer) as long as they did not require more than 4,962 feet of runway. There is a hump in the pavement at an exit taxiway intersection 1,200 feet from the south end (refer to DIAGRAM I), so I had placed temporary displaced threshold markings in the grass next to the parallel taxiway and advised pilots to land north of that point" (refer to ATTACHMENT AM-I and ATTACHMENT AM-II). In a telephone conversation with the Fixed Based Operator (FBO), he reported that frequent miscommunications existed during the construction phase between the FBO (UNICOM operator) and airport management. This resulted in the FBO occasionally providing contradictory information as to the availability of runway 16/34 versus the parallel taxiway for operations. Additionally, he reported that the displacement at the south end of the parallel taxiway was poorly marked. This marking consisted of plywood which had not been painted in a conspicuous color and was placed in the grass alongside the taxiway at the intended displacement location. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - rough/uneven (contributing factor) - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - other airport/runway maintenance - inadequate, airport personnel (contributing factor) - Nose down, landing - roll - terrain condition - ditch (contributing factor) ## Aircraft - Registration: N144JS (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Pitts S-1 - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1144 - Airframe hours: 325 - Engines: Lycoming HIO-360 205 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Pigott, Leo, W. - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Unknown, July 1, 1998, 23 hours before - Departed: MYL - Airport: MYL, Mccall, runway 34, 4,962 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: front; flight hours: 2,261 total, 680 in this make and model, 62 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 300° at 5 knots - Visibility: 1.5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 39 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: MYL ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19981023030889A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981023030889A), Oct 23, 1998: Mc Call, ID, Substantial damage. Acft lost directional control on landing, ran off the rwy, and came to rest nose first in a ditch. (-23) runway 16/34 was closed at the time of the accident… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.