Aerotek PITTS SPEC N55MF

Summary

On 24 May 2009 at about 20:45 local time, a Aerotek PITTS SPEC registered N55MF was involved in an accident near Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, 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

24 May 2009 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Beaver County Airport (BVI)

Coordinates

40.7722, -80.3914

Aircraft

Aerotek PITTS SPEC

Registration

N55MF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Beaver Falls → Beaver Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09CA307

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing rollout.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot completed three orbits above the airfield before attempting to land on runway 28. During the landing the airplane became unstable. The pilot applied rapid deflections of the rudder and kept the airplane straight momentarily, but ultimately it continued veering to the left. He applied full right rudder, full right brake , and power. In the process, the airplane “tipped forward” onto the right main landing gear and rolled onto the right wing tip. The propeller contacted the runway several times before the airplane exited the left side of the runway at about a 70-degree angle and nosed over. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical difficulties with the airplane. Wind at the time was from the southwest at approximately 7 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.