Pitts S-1S N515TN
15 July 1994 · Stevensville, Maryland, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 15 July 1994 at about 18:45 local time, a Pitts S-1S registered N515TN was involved in an accident near Stevensville, Maryland, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Stevensville, Maryland, United States
- Nearest airport
- Kentmore Airpark (3W3)
- Coordinates
- 38.9893, -76.2997
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-1S
- Registration
- N515TN
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Easton
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC94LA129
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
Inadequate maintenance by which undertorquing of the accessory gear retaining bolt resulted in fatigue failure of the bolt and the subsequent loss of engine power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER JUST AFTER TAKEOFF WHEN THE PILOT REDUCED THE THROTTLE. THE PILOT RE-APPLIED FULL THROTTLE WITH NO RESULT. DURING THE FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD, THE AIRPLANE'S WING STRUCK A TREE, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT GEAR (13S19646) BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT DUE TO A BROKEN BOLT. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE ACCESSORY GEAR RETAINING BOLT (P/N STD-2213), AND DOWEL PIN (P/N STD-1065) REVEALED THAT THEY SEPARATED AS A RESULT OF HIGH CYCLE FATIGUE MECHANISM, MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY INSUFFICIENT TORQUE OF THE BOLT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Pitts S-1S accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 1995 | Pitts S-1S | Livermore, California, United States | Carol A. Christian | No injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 1996 | Pitts S-1S | Reno, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 1992 | Pitts S-1S | Galion, Ohio, United States | Stuart T. Pressey | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 1989 | Pitts S-1S | Henryetta, Oklahoma, United States | Arsenault, Donald S. | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 1988 | Pitts S-1S | Ridgeway, Virginia, United States | Carroll Messer | No injuries | - |
| 19 Dec 2001 | Pitts S-1S | Sanford, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Oakland, Maryland, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Feb 1994 | Beechcraft C35 | Rockville, Maryland, United States | William R Canda | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Apr 1994 | Beechcraft B24R | College Park, Maryland, United States | Fort Bragg Flying Activity | Fatal | 4 |
| 28 May 1994 | Cessna A150L | Leonardtown, Maryland, United States | Steven J. Bildman | No injuries | - |
| 17 Sep 1994 | Beechcraft A36 | Barstow, Maryland, United States | Thompson, William A. | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Jan 1994 | Robinson R-22A | Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States | Montgomery Aviation | No injuries | - |