Summary
On October 22, 1994, a Pitts S-1C (N7037W) was involved in an accident near Galeville, NY. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: Inadequate maintenance inspection which resulted in disengagement of the rudder clevis bolt and the inflight loss of control during aerobatic manuevers.
On Saturday, October 22, 1994, at 1600 eastern daylight time, a Pitts S-1C, N7037W, registered to and piloted by George J. Emer, was destroyed by impact with the terrain in Galeville, New York. The pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot was performing acrobatic maneuvers, when he lost rudder control. He was unable to recover from the maneuver, and he elected to parachute from the airplane. The airplane continued out of control and impacted terrain.
In his report, the pilot stated:
I entered a left snap roll at approximately 1800' AGL.
This accident is documented in NTSB report NYC95LA017. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7037W.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
Inadequate maintenance inspection which resulted in disengagement of the rudder clevis bolt and the inflight loss of control during aerobatic manuevers.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On Saturday, October 22, 1994, at 1600 eastern daylight time, a Pitts S-1C, N7037W, registered to and piloted by George J. Emer, was destroyed by impact with the terrain in Galeville, New York. The pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot was performing acrobatic maneuvers, when he lost rudder control. He was unable to recover from the maneuver, and he elected to parachute from the airplane. The airplane continued out of control and impacted terrain.
In his report, the pilot stated:
I entered a left snap roll at approximately 1800' AGL. On recovery (full right rudder) the right rudder pedal disconnected from the rudder cable. The aircraft entered a left spin...and did not respond to any control input. I jumped out of the aircraft at approximately 700' and deployed my parachute.
Mr. Ray Darling, an Airworthiness Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration, examined the wreckage. In a telephone interview, Mr. Darling stated that he found "the clevis pin for the right rudder cable was missing."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC95LA017