Aviat PITTS S-2B N110PS
14 May 2015 · Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 14 May 2015 at about 00:30 local time, a Aviat PITTS S-2B registered N110PS, operated by Hartvigsen Thomas E, was involved in an accident near Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States
- Nearest airport
- Tullahoma Regional Airport (THA)
- Coordinates
- 35.3747, -86.2411
- Aircraft
- Aviat PITTS S-2B
- Registration
- N110PS
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1996
- Operator
- Hartvigsen Thomas E
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Tullahoma → Tullahoma
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA15LA210
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in his airplane landing on top of the other airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A red V Star biplane and a white Aviat Pitts biplane collided while both airplanes were landing on the same runway. Review of both pilot statements, a witness statement, and a video from a recorder attached to the white biplane pilot's helmet revealed that the red biplane was ahead of the white biplane in the left airport traffic pattern. Both pilots reported their positions on the common traffic advisory frequency; the white biplane pilot reported when he entered the downwind and final legs, and the red biplane pilot reported when he was 7 miles inbound and when he entered the downwind leg. A review of the video showed that, for a 7-second period just before and as the white biplane was turning onto the base leg, the red biplane was visible as a small, dull, white flashing dot above trees on a flightpath consistent with entering the final leg. The red biplane then disappeared behind the white biplane's upper wing but then reappeared for 4 more seconds while the white biplane was on the left base leg. The red biplane then moved from left of the white biplane's nose and just below the upper wing to centered just above the nose. The red biplane then disappeared below the white biplane's cowling until 1 second before impact. The white biplane was faster than the red biplane, flew a closer traffic pattern, and turned onto the base leg sooner, which resulted in the white biplane overtaking the red biplane and landing on top of it as the red biplane touched down on the runway.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviat PITTS S-2B | N110PS | Hartvigsen Thomas E | Minor |
| Meuer Gary D V STAR | N675GM | Meuer Gary | Substantial |
Other Aviat PITTS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Aug 2014 | Aviat PITTS S2B | Lakeville, New York, United States | Denair Inc | No injuries | - |
| 31 May 2014 | Aviat PITTS S 2B | Grants, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2017 | Aviat PITTS S-2B | Holmestrand, Norway | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 19 Sep 2011 | Aviat PITTS S-2B | Redlands, California, United States | Sowell Paul A | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 2010 | Aviat PITTS S-2B | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States | O G Co | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jun 2006 | Aviat PITTS S-2B | Darmstadt, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Sep 2015 | Aero Vodochody L39 | Oneida, Tennessee, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Nov 2015 | Cessna 172 | Covington, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 2015 | Mooney M20C | Winchester, Tennessee, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Apr 2015 | Piper PA 32R-300 | Gatlinburg, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Nov 2015 | Cessna 172S | Alcoa, Tennessee, United States | Civil Air Patrol Inc | No injuries | - |
| 3 May 2015 | Cessna 182 | Mulberry, Tennessee, United States | Bauman Linda C | Fatal | 1 |