Shea PITTS SPECIAL S-1C N52JH

Summary

On 6 June 2022 at about 18:30 local time, a Shea PITTS SPECIAL S-1C registered N52JH was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, 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

6 June 2022 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Reno, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Reno/Stead (RTS)

Coordinates

39.6682, -119.8764

Aircraft

Shea PITTS SPECIAL S-1C

Registration

N52JH

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22LA206

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tail wheel equipped airplane reported that, while conducting a full stop landing, the airplane touched down normally. He felt a jolt then the airplane started to veer towards the right side of the runway and nosed over. The airplane came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer. The left main wheel separated from the landing gear strut near the wheel attachment during the landing. The landing gear strut was bent inward. Photographs of the landing gear strut fracture surfaces were sent to the NTSB Material Laboratory for further review. The specialist reported that the fracture appeared to be due to overstress. No fatigue crack origin area was identified. The pilot reported that there were no other mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.