Strissel PITTS S1S N230SB

Summary

On 24 October 2004 at about 19:30 local time, a Strissel PITTS S1S registered N230SB was involved in an accident near Liberal, Kansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 October 2004 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Liberal, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Liberal Muni (LBL)

Coordinates

37.0442, -101.0056

Aircraft

Strissel PITTS S1S

Registration

N230SB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Liberal → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05LA015

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while performing aerobatic flight maneuvers resulting in an in-flight collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The experimental amateur-built airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot fatally injured during an in-flight collision with terrain. Witnesses reported that the aircraft was conducting aerobatic airwork when it entered an inverted spin. According to one witness, the airplane went into a "backward spin, then it flipped up side down and stayed [in] a spin until it disappeared over the hill." A second witness stated the airplane was "doing tricks." He reported the airplane was "upside down going in circles" and did not recover prior to impact. The airplane came to rest inverted. The flight controls remained attached to the airframe. Control continuity was confirmed from the empennage to the cockpit area and from the ailerons to the wing roots. Cable breaks exhibited a frayed condition consistent with overload tensile failure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.