Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mclean, Texas 79057
Saturday, September 14, 1985 13:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT HAD LANDED THE PITTS SPECIAL ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO LOW FUEL. AFTER THE FUEL SERVICE THE ACFT TOOK OFF AND THE PLT PERFORMED LOW ALTITUDE ACROBATICS THEN DEPARTED MAKING SLOW ROLLS BELOW A LOW OVERCAST. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE ACFT FLYING LOW OVER THE HIGHWAY GOING TOWARD RISING TERRAIN TOWARD AMARILLO. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A FIELD. THE ACFT HAD EVIDENTLY STALLED WHILE IN THE LOW OVERCAST AFTER INADVERTENT ENTRY BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT. EVIDENCE INDICATED THE ACFT HAD CONTINUED A SPINNING MANEUVER UNTIL SURFACE IMPACT. NO EVIDENCE OBSERVED OF ACFT OR ENGINE MALFUNCTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/14/1985
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1330
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City MCLEAN
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 79057
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 9
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 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1335 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 270
Weather Observation Facility ID AMA
Elevation of weather observation facility 3605
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 45
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2761
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 14 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1530
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 30376
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N74LF
NTSB Number FTW85FA346
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 PITTS SPL.
Aircraft Model S-1
Aircraft Series Identifier S-1
Aircraft Serial Number 423-H
Certified Max Gross Weight 900
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Oct 11 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GORDON J. SMITH
Aircraft Owner Street Address 405 S. JULIETTE
Aircraft Owner City MANHATTAN
Aircraft Owner State KS
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 66502
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PATRICK BLAKE STERLING
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 4025 BURKE
Operator City PASADENA
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 77504
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 12
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
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 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --