Charles C Gillis PITTS S2S N4204S

Summary

On 13 April 2007 at about 14:47 local time, a Charles C Gillis PITTS S2S registered N4204S was involved in an accident near Zellwood, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 April 2007 at 14:47

Classification

Accident

Location

Zellwood, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Tangerine Airport (FL97)

Coordinates

28.7603, -81.6058

Aircraft

Charles C Gillis PITTS S2S

Registration

N4204S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Zellwood → Zellwood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA07LA075

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's excessive braking during the landing roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After a three-point landing on a grass runway, the pilot applied down elevator control input in order to raise the empennage, and applied the brakes, resulting in 200 feet of skid marks. The propeller contacted the grass, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot replaced the main landing gear in 2006, and this was the eighth flight since its replacement. Four of the eight flights had been by the accident pilot. Excluding the accident flight, there were no reported discrepancies with the main landing gear. A test pilot who flew the airplane recently before the accident reported that the main landing gear was satisfactory, but cautioned the pilot about being careful when operating on grass. Absent any evidence of a mechanical malfunction, it is probable the nose over was the result of the pilot's excessive braking.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.