Pitts S-2B N693SB
7 December 1997 · Bozeman, Montana, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 7 December 1997 at about 21:53 local time, a Pitts S-2B registered N693SB was involved in an accident near Bozeman, Montana, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:53
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Bozeman, Montana, United States
- Coordinates
- 45.7698, -110.9301
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-2B
- Registration
- N693SB
- 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
- FTW98FA063
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The failure of both pilots to maintain visual lookout. Factors were the pilot of N693SB not following procedures and directives, and using poor judgment in regards to where he performed aerobatics.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A witness observed an aircraft performing aerobatics near Montana State University campus. Another witness reported seeing a Pitts 'tipping its wings (straight on its side) one way, then the other.' This same witness observed the Pitts continue north 'doing tricks, when it suddenly went straight down.' A Cessna was flying by Gallatin Field (Bozeman, MT) on an airway, and reported that he was 7,700 feet mean sea level (msl) and climbing. A witness observed the Cessna flying eastbound and the Pitts closing about a 45 degree angle on the starboard forward quarter. The witness watched both planes for about 5 seconds, until impact 'both planes maintained level flight and neither made any turns or abrupt maneuvers.' Victor airways are low route area navigation tracks which extend upward from 1,200 feet above the surface of the earth to, but not including, 18,000 feet msl. They extend horizontally 4 nautical miles on each side of the airways center line. Aerobatic maneuvers are prohibited over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement and within 4 nautical miles of the center line of any Federal airway.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitts S-2B S-2B | N693SB | - | Destroyed |
| Cessna P206A P206A | N2664X | - | Destroyed |
Other Pitts S-2B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Aug 1997 | Pitts S-2B | Mountain View, Arkansas, United States | Ronald K. Miller | No injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1996 | Pitts S-2B | Freehold Twsp, New Jersey, United States | John Mullaney | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Jul 1996 | Pitts S-2B | Boca Raton, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 1998 | Pitts S-2B | Easton, Maryland, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Apr 1998 | Pitts S-2B | Greenfield, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 1998 | Pitts S-2B | Sherman, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Oct 1997 | Champion 7EC | Galata, Montana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Oct 1997 | Bell 47-G3B | Winston, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Nov 1997 | Cessna 150H | Missoula, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Nov 1997 | Short Brothers SD3-60 | Billings, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Dec 1997 | Schramm HELICYCLE | Big Timber, Montana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Dec 1997 | Cessna 177 | Thompson Falls, Montana, United States | Schauman, TOR | No injuries | - |