Pitts S1-S N71HR
11 July 1998 · Tracy, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 11 July 1998 at about 18:50 local time, a Pitts S1-S registered N71HR was involved in an accident near Tracy, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. 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 18:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Tracy, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 37.7303, -121.4209
- Aircraft
- Pitts S1-S
- Registration
- N71HR
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Livermore → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX98LA228
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to maintain adequate clearance with the terrain during aerobatic maneuvering.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was performing aerobatic maneuvers in a charted aerobatics practice box, part of which was over a gravel pile/construction site. The aircraft co-owner was on the ground watching the pilot's routine. He maintained radio communication with the pilot during the flight. The pilot informed the aircraft co-owner that he was finished and the co-owner started to head back to the airport. A ground witness saw the aircraft maneuver under a series of telephone lines and around construction equipment about 15 feet agl or less. He stated that the aircraft appeared to be attempting to pull up as it impacted the gravel pit. The witness further reported that the aircraft appeared to have power throughout the maneuvering and he did not notice any decrease in engine noise. The pilot suffered serious injuries and does not remember the accident flight. The aircraft co-owner reported that the pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the aircraft during the accident flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Pitts S1 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jan 1998 | Pitts S1 | Prescott, Arizona, United States | BOB Sweginnis | No injuries | - |
| 11 Mar 1998 | Pitts S1-S | Zephyrhills, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2000 | Pitts S1-T | Vero Beach, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Jul 1994 | Pitts S1 | Heber City, Utah, United States | Burke, Jonathon | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 1994 | Pitts S1-C | Lakeland, Florida, United States | Walters, Linn R. | No injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1993 | Pitts S1-T | Sherman, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 1998 | Cessna 152 | Avalon, California, United States | Orange County Flight Center | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Oct 1998 | Grumman TS-2A | Banning, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Aug 1998 | North American NAVION | Salinas, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 21 Aug 1998 | Bell 206B | Salinas, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 1998 | Robinson R22B | Ramona, California, United States | Civic Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1998 | Aerospatiale SA316B | Porterville, California, United States | U.s. Dept. of the Interior | No injuries | - |