Pitts Spl S-1 N74LF

Summary

On 14 September 1985 at about 18:30 local time, a Pitts Spl S-1 registered N74LF, operated by Patrick Blake Sterling, was involved in an accident near McLean, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

14 September 1985 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

McLean, Texas, United States

Coordinates

35.2292, -100.5993

Aircraft

Pitts Spl S-1

Registration

N74LF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Patrick Blake Sterling

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW85FA346

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 HAD LANDED THE PITTS SPECIAL ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO LOW FUEL. AFTER THE FUEL SERVICE THE ACFT TOOK OFF AND THE PLT PERFORMED LOW ALTITUDE ACROBATICS THEN DEPARTED MAKING SLOW ROLLS BELOW A LOW OVERCAST. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE ACFT FLYING LOW OVER THE HIGHWAY GOING TOWARD RISING TERRAIN TOWARD AMARILLO. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A FIELD. THE ACFT HAD EVIDENTLY STALLED WHILE IN THE LOW OVERCAST AFTER INADVERTENT ENTRY BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT. EVIDENCE INDICATED THE ACFT HAD CONTINUED A SPINNING MANEUVER UNTIL SURFACE IMPACT. NO EVIDENCE OBSERVED OF ACFT OR ENGINE MALFUNCTION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.