Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL N91JW

Summary

On 17 September 2016 at about 18:45 local time, a Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL registered N91JW was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, 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

17 September 2016 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Reno, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Reno/Stead (RTS)

Coordinates

39.6681, -119.8764

Aircraft

Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL

Registration

N91JW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Air Race/Show

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Reno → Reno

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA500

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane, during the landing roll, the tailwheel became "stuck" in an expansion joint that runs down the centerline of the runway. She reported that when the tailwheel became unstuck, the biplane "swung wildly to the left," the bottom right wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway after turning 180° to the left. A video of the accident, taken by a camera mounted on the accident biplane and posted on social media, revealed that the biplane touched down on the runway to the left of the centerline. During the landing roll and after crossing the taxiway A2 intersection, the biplane began drifting right. The tailwheel is seen crossing the centerline expansion joint about 30° to the joint and then rolling over the joint without hesitation. The tail is then seen swinging to the right at an increasing rate. The biplane ground looped to the left, and the bottom right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.