Cromwell/Pitts S-1S N56T

Summary

On 24 January 1983 at about 00:25 local time, a Cromwell/Pitts S-1S registered N56T was involved in an accident near Athol, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

24 January 1983 at 00:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Athol, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Henley Aerodrome (S62)

Coordinates

47.9609, -116.6809

Aircraft

Cromwell/Pitts S-1S

Registration

N56T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA83FA045

1 person died.

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

THE PLT TOOKOFF WITH AN ESTIMATED 7 GAL OF FUEL ON BOARD. WHILE PERFORMING AEROBATIC MANEUVER, HE ENTERED A VERTICAL, CLIMBING, POWER-ON MANEUVER. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE ACFT CLIMBED TO ZERO AIRSPEED AT ABOUT 2500 FT AGL. REPORTEDLY, THE ACFT THEN SLID BACKWARD AND ENTERED AN INVERTED FLAT SPIN. POWER REMAINED ON FOR ABOUT HALF OF THE DESCENT. WHEN THE POWER WAS REDUCED, THE ACFT ENTERED AN UPRIGHT SPIN AND CONTINUED TO DESCEND IN THIS MODE UNTIL GROUND IMPACT. INTERVIEWS WITH OTHER PLTS, FAMILIAR WITH THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PITTS, REVEALED THAT AT A LOW STATE OF FUEL, THE CENTER-OF-GRAVITY IS IN THE AFT RANGE. THEY REPORTED A POWER REDUCTION IS NECESSARY TO RECOVER FROM AN INVERTED SPIN. THEY ALSO STATED THAT INTENTIONAL SPINS WERE NOT A NORMAL PART OF THIS PLT'S AEROBATIC ROUTINE. NO MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR PLT IMPAIRMENT WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.