Franklin PITTS SPECIAL S-1 N59JT

Summary

On 9 October 2009 at about 16:10 local time, a Franklin PITTS SPECIAL S-1 registered N59JT, operated by Ferdinand E. de Souza, was involved in an accident near Alamosa, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 October 2009 at 16:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Alamosa, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Alamosa (ALS)

Coordinates

37.4342, -105.8597

Aircraft

Franklin PITTS SPECIAL S-1

Registration

N59JT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ferdinand E. de Souza

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Alamosa → Alamosa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10CA020

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control on takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was taking off in his single-engine tail wheel-equipped airplane, when veered to the left at a high rate of speed shortly after the tail wheel came up off the ground. The airplane went off the side of the runway and struck a runway light with the lower left wing causing substantial damage. Examination of the airplane by maintenance personnel found no pre mishap anomalies. The winds were calm at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.