Pitts S2S N31461

Summary

On 21 July 1982 at about 17:40 local time, a Pitts S2S registered N31461, operated by Howard M. Mullins, was involved in an accident near Somerville, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

21 July 1982 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Somerville, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Fayette County

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Pitts S2S

Registration

N31461

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Howard M. Mullins

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Arlington → Santa Fe

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL82DA206

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN DURING A FORMATION LANDING, THE WINGMAN'S AIRCRAFT STRUCK AN ENGINE STAND THAT HAD BEEN PLACED OVER A HOLE IN THE RUNWAY. THE HOLE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 900 FT FROM THE APPROACH END AND WAS ABOUT 2 FT LONG, 1 FT WIDE, AND 1 FT DEEP. IT WAS MADE WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL OF A SABRELINER HAD BROKEN THROUGH THE ASPHALT ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. FLIGHT SERVICE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE RUNWAY WAS CLOSED AND A NOTAM WAS ISSUED, BUT THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FSS HAD NOT RECEIVED IT UNTIL AFTER THE OCCURRENCE. THE MEMPHIS FAA AIRPORTS DISTRICT OFFICE HAD INSTRUCTED THAT THE AIRPORT BE MARKED CLOSED WITH AN "X" ACROSS THE ENDS OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO CLOSED MARKINGS PLACED ON THE RUNWAYS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.