Pitts S-2B N225SD

Summary

On 21 August 2001 at about 16:45 local time, a Pitts S-2B registered N225SD was involved in an accident near Shirley, New York, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, 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.

Date

21 August 2001 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Shirley, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Brookhaven (HWV)

Coordinates

40.8308, -72.8606

Aircraft

Pitts S-2B

Registration

N225SD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Shirley → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC01FA212

1 person died.

The pilot under instruction's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, and the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action during a simulated engine-out approach, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and subsequent ground impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On the day of the accident, the flight instructor and pilot under instruction planned to fly several normal traffic patterns, then perform a simulated engine-out landing. They executed a normal takeoff, and after completing the traffic patterns, the student announced over the radio he would be performing a simulated-engine-out landing. While on downwind, the student had to perform several "s- turns" to maintain separation from a slower airplane ahead. On final, the airplane was low and slow. The right wing then dropped, and the airplane impacted the ground about 530 feet short of the runway. The flight instructor had approximately 3,000 hours of total flight experience. He was actively flying in the accident airplane make and model, and had accumulated about 2,000 hours in them. The student had 535 hours of total flight experience, and 56 hours in make and model. Examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact failures or malfunctions, and the pilot under instruction could not remember experiencing any mechanical difficulties.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.