Pitts S-2B N300PS

Summary

On 1 February 2003 at about 18:50 local time, a Pitts S-2B registered N300PS, operated by Hart Air, LTD., was involved in an accident near Long Beach, 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.

Date

1 February 2003 at 18:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Long Beach, California, United States

Nearest airport

Long Beach Daugherty (LGB)

Coordinates

33.8183, -118.1528

Aircraft

Pitts S-2B

Registration

N300PS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Hart Air, LTD.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Long Beach → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03LA081

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's excessive pull up, which resulted in a failure to obtain/maintain flying speed and a subsequent stall/mush.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane experienced a loss of control, which resulted in a stall/mush while practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. The pilot stated he "lost control" of the airplane during a landing and added power to execute a go-around and pulled up. An airline pilot, who reported having approximately 11,500 hours total time with about 250 hours in the Pitts S-2B, witnessed the accident. He said that when he first saw the airplane it was on a divergent course to the left side of runway 25R at an altitude of 5 feet. As the airplane came to the left edge of the runway it made a pull up, resulting in the nose coming up about 60 degrees. It continued on its upward path while rotating right. At approximately 25 feet, the nose passed vertical; at the 180-degree point of rotation, the right wing struck the ground followed by the nose. The witness pilot further reported that the airplane landed with a left, quartering tailwind of an estimated 8 knots. A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the airplane. The brakes and tailwheel steering were found in working order. Flight control continuity could not be established because of the post impact fire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.