Pitts S-15 N3RJ
17 November 1988 · Delphi, Indiana, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 17 November 1988 at about 21:25 local time, a Pitts S-15 registered N3RJ was involved in an accident near Delphi, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Delphi, Indiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.5803, -86.6708
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-15
- Registration
- N3RJ
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lafayette → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI89DEX01
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE TO RECOVER FROM AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER DUE TO LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE, AND LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF FLIGHT REGIME.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT PERFORMING A SERIES OF HAMMERHEAD TYPE CLIMBS AND DIVES. THE ACFT THEN WAS OBSERVED TO PERFORM A CLIMB AND ENTER A SPIN FROM WHICH THERE WAS NO RECOVERY. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED 10 HOURS INSTRUCTION IN THE ACFT OVER TWO YEARS PRIOR TO ACCIDENT AND HAD LOGGED 27 HOURS FLIGHT TIME IN THE ACFT. THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN IN 27 MONTHS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HIS LAST FLIGHT IN THE ACCIDENT ACFT WAS 28 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Pitts S-15 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 1986 | Pitts S-15 | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 1983 | Pitts S-15 | Laramie, Wyoming, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan 1988 | Cessna 172K | Converse, Indiana, United States | Quinn, Schafer, Ferris | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 1988 | Cessna 310Q | Tell City, Indiana, United States | Morgan Aviation | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1988 | Piper PA-28-181 | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States | Chas. W. Beene | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jan 1988 | Mooney M20A | La Porte, Indiana, United States | Davair, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 1988 | Piper PA-24-250 | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States | Graves, Dorel | No injuries | - |
| 14 Feb 1988 | Cessna 172 | Ft. Wayne, Indiana, United States | Bowman Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |