Pitts Aerobatics S-2B accident near Muskogee, Oklahoma, May 9, 2009
On May 9, 2009 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Pitts Aerobatics S-2B, registered N6027V, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Muskogee, Oklahoma (Davis Field Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate supervision by the certified flight instructor, resulting in a delayed stall recovery attempt.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2009 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Muskogee, Oklahoma · Davis Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts Aerobatics S-2B · all S-2Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6027V · no longer on the register · serial 5117
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and his private pilot student were practicing stalls. They were initiating the stalls about 3,000 feet above ground level (AGL) and recovering by 1,500 feet AGL. During the third stall, the student pilot initiated recovery and the airplane was descending straight ahead at about 1,500 feet AGL. The CFI took control of the airplane between 800 and 1,000 feet AGL and determined the airplane was in a straight ahead stall. The CFI was unable to recover the airplane to normal flight and it impacted trees in a forested area. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot was seriously injured.
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
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,560 hours in all; 520 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 6,250 as pilot in command; 465 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 31, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,246 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,209 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 12, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKO Musckogee OK at 10:45 pm
- Destination: MKO Musckogee OK
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N6027V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN09CA287.