Pitts S1 accident near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, July 1, 2022
On July 1, 2022 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1981 Pitts S1, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N23RS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (Door County Cherryland airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and nose over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and the pilot’s lack of flight control system knowledge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2022 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin · Door County Cherryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S1 S, built 1981, amateur-built · all S1s on the register
- Registration
- N23RS · registry record · serial 8-0035
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during landing touchdown with all three wheels “down,” and the airplane “tracking fine,” he removed his feet from the lower rudder pedal bars to apply braking via the upper braking pedal bars. The pedals then fell rearward toward the pilot and his right foot got wedged between the lower rudder pedal bar and the upper braking pedal bar. The pilot reported this action caught him by surprise and he applied “heavy” right rudder, thinking it was braking application. The airplane departed the right side of the runway, nosed over, and came to rest inverted in the grass next to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the top right wing and the empennage. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had recently purchased the airplane and did not know that the rudder pedal return springs were not installed. The investigation revealed that the airplane was previously modified for aerobatic competition with the addition of a large rudder and that due to cockpit spacing limitations, the rudder pedal return springs could not be installed. The pilot concluded that the accident could have been prevented by performing a “very thorough” inspection and understanding all the modifications made to the airplane before flying it.
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 on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Inadequate inspection
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › Knowledge of equipment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 17, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 608 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines IO-360 Series (piston); 1,472 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UNU Juneau WI at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KSUE, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSUE 011956Z AUTO 17008G14KT 120V180 10SM CLR 22/11 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP140 T02170106
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 5, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Additional Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.