Pitts S-1S accident near Sanford, Florida, December 19, 2001
On December 19, 2001 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Pitts S-1S, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N522H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sanford, Florida (Orlando Sanford Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing roll in a tailwind, which resulted in a nose-over on the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 2001 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sanford, Florida · Orlando Sanford Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-1S, amateur-built · all S-1Ss on the register
- Registration
- N522H · registry record · serial 093
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot executed a downwind approach and touched down on runway 9 center. During landing roll at 10 miles per hour, a tailwind picked up the tail of the airplane. The airplane's propeller struck the ground, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted on the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed the propeller and spinner were damaged, the top wing spar support members were bent, one outboard wing spar was broken, the top rudder bow was bent with wrinkling of the fuselage at the base of the fin, the leading edge of the top wing showed cracks on both sides of the fuel tank, and the engine mounts were displaced.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,800 hours in all; 205 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 7, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 187 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 2001; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360 H1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSFB Sanford FL at 4:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9C, 3,578 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KSFB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL02LA018.