Christen Industries INC PITTS S-2B accident near Cameron, Missouri, June 27, 2015
On June 27, 2015 at about 6:53 pm local time, a 1985 Christen Industries INC PITTS S-2B, registered N877UP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (aerobatics) near Cameron, Missouri (Cameron Memorial Airport). It was an air show or air race flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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 airplane control during a low-level aerobatic flight maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2015 · about 6:53 pm local time
- Place
- Cameron, Missouri · Cameron Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries INC PITTS S-2B, built 1985 · all PITTS S-2Bs on the register
- Registration
- N877UP · no longer on the register · serial 5080
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing a series of aerobatic flight maneuvers at a low altitude during an airshow. Another airshow pilot, who was familiar with the accident pilot's airshow routine, reported that the accident pilot intended to do a 45-degree knife-edge climb, perform a "Lomcevak" maneuver, and then continue the knife-edge climb. Video recordings taken by persons on the ground showed the airplane in a knife-edge climb. The pilot then entered the Lomcevak maneuver by performing a climbing snap-roll to the left. The airplane pitched nose-down and tumbled two times to the left while descending. Rather than returning to the knife-edge climb, the airplane instead entered a left spin and completed about two and a half revolutions before it impacted the terrain. The video recordings indicated that the engine was operating throughout the flight to ground impact. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A review of medical, pathological, and toxicological information revealed no evidence of any medical condition or substance that would have contributed to the pilot's loss of control during performance of aerobatic maneuvers.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (aerobatics) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (aerobatics)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,819 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2015; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EZZ Cameron MO at 6:40 pm
- Destination: EZZ Cameron MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from MCI, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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 CEN15FA282.