Strissel Pitts S1S accident near Liberal, KS
On October 24, 2004, a Strissel Pitts S1S (airplane) was involved in an accident near Liberal, KS. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 24, 2004
- Place
- Liberal, KS
- Aircraft
- Strissel Pitts S1S · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.044°N, 101.006°W
- NTSB ID
- 20041027X01708
NTSB summary
On October 24, 2004, about 1430 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Strissel Pitts S1S bi-wing airplane, N230SB, was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain near Liberal, Kansas. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The local flight departed Liberal Municipal Airport (LBL), Liberal, Kansas, about 1400. A witness reported seeing a small airplane go into a "backward spin, then it flipped up side down and stayed [in] a spin until it disappeared over the hill." A second witness stated that he saw an airplane "doing tricks." He continued: "I watched him for a few minutes, then he was doing this crazy stunt up in the air. He was upside down going in circles. And I was noticing that he was getting closer to the ground. Then all of a sudden he wasn't pulling up." He noted the airplane descended until it impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest inverted on level terrain approximately 2 miles west-southwest of LBL. The engine cowling, upper wing assembly, and vertical stabilizer exhibited crushing damage. The flight controls remained attached to the airframe. Control continuity was confirmed from the empennage to the cockpit area and from the ailerons to the wing roots. Cable breaks exhibited a frayed condition consistent with overload tensile failure. One of the co-owners of the aircraft reported that they had owned it for approximately 20 years. They were reportedly in the process of negotiating a trade
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while performing aerobatic flight maneuvers resulting in an in-flight collision with terrain.
More accidents in KS
- Sikorsky S-76B, Jul 5, 2001
- Cessna 421C Riley Turbine E, Jan 21, 2005
- Cessna 210M, Nov 6, 1983
- Cessna 401, May 11, 2012
- Beech A36, Jul 7, 1994
Browse: Kansas
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
