Pitts S-2S N1PW

Summary

On 3 June 2023 at about 23:00 local time, a Pitts S-2S registered N1PW, operated by Welkin Aero Inc, was involved in an accident near Garden Plain, Kansas, 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

3 June 2023 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Garden Plain, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Yoder Airpark (SN61)

Coordinates

37.6610, -97.6292

Aircraft

Pitts S-2S

Registration

N1PW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Welkin Aero Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Island → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA222

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inability to maintain directional control during landing roll due to a flat tire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the landing roll on a grass runway, the airplane decelerated quicker than the pilot expected, pulled to the right, and nosed over which resulted in a ground loop. The right lower wing and right elevator were substantially damaged during the ground loop. Postaccident examination of the airplane showed that the right main landing gear wheel inner tube and tire was likely flat prior to landing due to an undetected cut in the inner tube. The flat tire resulted in wheel pant fairing to contact the grass runway and the airplane became uncontrollable. Following the accident, the inner tube was inflated by the pilot and an audible leak was observed from the cut rubber area. The pilot reported that the tube was replaced during last the condition inspection, and it was unknown what caused the cut in the inner tube.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.