Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL S-1S N49310
6 August 2022 · Erwinna, Pennsylvania, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 6 August 2022 at about 17:25 local time, a Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL S-1S registered N49310 was involved in an accident near Erwinna, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were 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 17:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Erwinna, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nearest airport
- Vansant (9N1)
- Coordinates
- 40.4843, -75.0996
- Aircraft
- Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL S-1S
- Registration
- N49310
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1982
- 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
- ERA22LA364
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The inability of both pilots to see and avoid the collision. Contributing to the accident was the pilot of the red airplane’s decision to utilize the converging runway for takeoff, contrary to the guidance published in the airport facility directory. Also contributing was the failure of the pilot of the black airplane to adequately utilize his radio to announce his taxi on the common traffic advisory frequency and his failure to recognize that an airplane was departing from a converging runway.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The private pilot of a predominately black and orange colored, tailwheel-equipped airplane (black airplane) reported that he was taxiing in the grass next to the turf runway 25 for departure. The taxi route required him to cross another converging turf runway 23. During the taxi, he did not make any radio calls on the airport common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) announcing that he was taxiing or crossing runway 23. The commercial pilot of a predominately red and white colored, tailwheel-equipped airplane (red airplane) that was based at the airport stated that he was departing runway 23, which was primarily used for glider operations but also was routinely used by powered airplanes when available based on runway conditions. He scanned ahead on runway 23 and after observing there was no conflicting traffic and not hearing any announcements from other aircraft, he broadcast his intent to depart from runway 23 on the CTAF. That transmission was heard by the pilot of the black airplane but at the time it did not register to him that the red airplane was departing from a converging runway, adding that he looked along runway 25 and expected to see the red airplane departing but he did not. The pilot of the red airplane reported that just after lifting off, the right wing of his airplane and the right wing of the black airplane collided; he never saw the other airplane. Following the collision, the red airplane impacted the ground and rolled onto its right side. The pilot of the black airplane, who was taxiing slowly, reported he heard a loud engine followed immediately by the sight of something hitting his right wings. Both airplanes sustained substantial damage to their wings during the collision. The pilots of both airplanes reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with their airplanes that would have precluded normal operation. According to the airport manager, the runway utilized by the pilot of the red airplane was specified in the airport facility directory to be for gliders only, though that was not strictly enforced.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL S-1S NO SERIES | N49310 | - | Substantial |
| Waco UPF-7 NO SERIES | N32141 | - | Substantial |
Other Aerotek PITTS accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 2025 | Aerotek PITTS S-2A | New Holstein, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 2017 | Aerotek PITTS S-2A | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 May 2017 | Aerotek PITTS S 2A | Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 17 Sep 2016 | Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL | Reno, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 2014 | Aerotek PITTS SPECIAL S-1S | Westminster, Maryland, United States | Bob Gillespie | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 2013 | Aerotek PITTS S-2B | Cleveland, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Oct 2022 | Cessna 182 | Factoryville, Pennsylvania, United States | Civil Air Patrol | No injuries | - |
| 18 Mar 2022 | Piper PA-32 | Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 2022 | Cessna A185E | York, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 2022 | Cessna 172 | Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania, United States | New Garden Flight Connection Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 2022 | Piper PA28R | Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 2022 | Walter S Johnson Iii AR-1 | Butler, Pennsylvania, United States | Beighey Mark W | No injuries | - |