- Date
- June 6, 2022, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N52JHShea Pitts Special S-1C
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220606009719A
- Case key
- 105223
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 failure to maintain directional control during landing roll.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tail wheel equipped airplane reported that, while conducting a full stop landing, the airplane touched down normally. He felt a jolt then the airplane started to veer towards the right side of the runway and nosed over. The airplane came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer. The left main wheel separated from the landing gear strut near the wheel attachment during the landing. The landing gear strut was bent inward. Photographs of the landing gear strut fracture surfaces were sent to the NTSB Material Laboratory for further review. The specialist reported that the fracture appeared to be due to overstress. No fatigue crack origin area was identified. The pilot reported that there were no other mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52JH
- Reported as
- Shea Pitts Special S-1C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 1,130
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 9, 2022 · 10 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- RTS · Reno/Stead, runway 8, 7,608 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 9, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 780 total · 130 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 165 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KRNO, 11 nm away
- METAR
- KRNO 061855Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 23/M02 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP131 T02281017 $
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 15, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.