Pitts S-2B accident near Steamboat Sprgs, CO
On July 5, 1999, a Pitts S-2B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Steamboat Sprgs, CO. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 5, 1999
- Place
- Steamboat Sprgs, CO
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-2B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.489°N, 106.829°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X19234
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 5, 1999, at 1042 mountain daylight time, a Pitts (now Aviat) S-2B, N321MB, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering 4 miles southeast of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The commercial pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Steamboat Springs/Bob Adams Field, at 1018. Several witnesses submitted written statements to the Routt County Sheriff's Office. Witness no. 1 was on Haymaker Golf Course, north of the accident site, when a biplane flew over at an estimated 500 feet agl (above ground level). The witness said the airplane did "a roll, followed by an upward loop from that altitude before proceeding southward down the valley." The witness said he thought the airplane was climbing after it made the loop, and wondered if the airplane was at "a legal minimum altitude." Witness no. 2 was driving south on County Road 131. He saw the airplane "in the air and suddenly I saw the plane took a low dive [sic] into the bank. I saw the plane hit the bank, leaving a cloud of dirt. . .I did not see how the plane hit I just saw the plane early in [flight]` and hitting the bank." Witness no. 3 was also driving south on County Road 131. The airplane came into view in the upper left corner of the car's windshield. The airplane was "spiraling with a flat angle of plane to ground. . .It continued spiraling toward the ground and struck the g
Probable cause
Intentional aerobatics performed by the pilot at an altitude insufficient to make a safe recovery.
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Browse: Colorado · Pitts aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
