Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's improper use of flight controls (ailerons) during a touch-and-go landing with a crosswind, resulting in a loss of directional control and subsequent nose over of the airplane. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's lack of total experience in kind of aircraft.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On March 11, 1998, about 1020 eastern standard time, a Pitts, S1-S, N99PF, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, experienced a loss of directional control and crashed during a touch-and-go landing at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, Zephyrhills, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot reported minor injuries. The flight originated from Zephyrhills, about 40 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he made one touch-and-go landing to runway 04. He moved over to runway 36 and completed five more touch-and-go landings. He was starting the touch-and-go portion of the sixth landing, and did not have sufficient aileron applied for the crosswind. The airplane swerved to the left, he applied right rudder, lost directional control, and the airplane nosed over inverted.
Review of the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report indicates the pilot has a total of 290 hours total flight time with 14.4 hours in the Pitt S1-S airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA98LA099