Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL S-1S N93J
22 May 1999 · Merced, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 22 May 1999 at about 21:30 local time, a Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL S-1S registered N93J was involved in an accident near Merced, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. 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 21:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Merced, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Merced Muni/McReady Field (MCE)
- Coordinates
- 37.3499, -120.4210
- Aircraft
- Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL S-1S
- Registration
- N93J
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX99LA193
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper/inadequate use of the rudders during the attempted recovery from a bounced landing and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. He stated that on the last landing the aircraft landed hard and bounced. He decided to do a go-around and added power. The pilot reported that the power came up and the engine sounded normal; however, the aircraft didn't climb. The airplane then veered about 10 to 20 degrees to the left. The pilot stated that he realized something was wrong and cut the power. The wingtips and propeller impacted the ground and the aircraft came to rest upright about 150 feet northwest of the 1,000-foot runway marker. The pilot reported that he has no memory of the events following the reduction of power until another person arrived at the accident site. There were no witnesses to the accident; however, another pilot heard the crash and helped the pilot egress from the aircraft. The winds were reported to be variable at 4 knots at the time of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aerotek PITTS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 2000 | Aerotek PITTS S-2A | Shelbyville, Illinois, United States | - | Fatal | - |
| 26 May 2000 | Aerotek PITTS S-2A | Hammonton, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 1997 | Aerotek PITTS S-2A | San Marcos, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Aug 2001 | Aerotek PITTS S2 | Xenia, Ohio, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 1996 | Aerotek PITTS S-2A | Reidsville, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 1996 | Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL S-1S | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Dec 1999 | Rhea KR-2 | Moreno Valley, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Dec 1999 | Cessna 172A | Shoshone, California, United States | Charles R. Christman | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 1999 | Piper PA-22-150 | Strathmore, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Sep 1999 | Cessna 172N | San Jose, California, United States | Concord Flight Intl, Inc | No injuries | - |
| 30 Apr 1999 | Schweizer 269C-1 | Concord, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Sep 1999 | Robinson R-22 | Azusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |