Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Santa Fe, Texas 77510
Saturday, May 24, 1986 13:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A SHORT OCCURRED IN THE AIRCRAFT'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DISTRACTING THE OWNER/PILOT OCCUPYING THE BACK SEAT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THIS SEAT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A SECOND LAP RESTRAINT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED, BY WITNESSES, TO ENTER A SPIN WHICH WENT INVERTED. THE FRONT SEAT PILOT MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH THE PEDALS BUT HAD NO EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE SPIN WAS STOPPED AT AN ALTITUDE TOO LOW TO PULL OUT, AND IT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A STEEP INVERTED ATTITUDE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/24/1986
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1300
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City SANTA FE
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 77510
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1747 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 330
Weather Observation Facility ID HOU
Elevation of weather observation facility 47
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 17
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 31
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 160
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1943
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 24 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 32419
Date of most recent change to record Sep 25 2006 5:23PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\ZUZL
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N80004
NTSB Number FTW86FA091
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name AEROTEK
Aircraft Model PITTS S2A
Aircraft Series Identifier PITTS S2A
Aircraft Serial Number 2012
Certified Max Gross Weight 1500
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 3 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 29
Airframe Hours 1913
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JAMES R. SIMONS
Aircraft Owner Street Address RURAL DELIVERY
Aircraft Owner City GRASS RANGE
Aircraft Owner State MT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 59032
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City HOUSTON
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --