N18BT – PITTS S-2A – 2009-07-08 NTSB Accident Report

On July 08, 2009, a Pitts S-2A (N18BT) was involved in an incident near Springfield, IL. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's inability to maintain directional control while landing due to the unintentional obstruction of the rudder by the passenger.

The pilot reported that he was landing the tail wheel airplane when the accident happened. He stated that the airplane touched down on one main wheel first and the airplane shifted and rapidly turned right. He stated that the airplane's movement resulted in his passenger's body shifting to the left against the left rudder/brake pedal. The rear seat rudder pedals are located near the front seat occupant's hips. The pilot stated that he attempted to correct with left rudder, but was unable due to the obstruction of the rudder pedal by the front seat passenger's body. The airplane subsequently ground looped. The damage to the airplane included collapse of the main landing gear, damage to the left lower wing, and damage to the upper wing.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN09CA421. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N18BT.