Pitts S-2A accident near Stoughton, Wisconsin, October 19, 2024
On October 19, 2024 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1978 Pitts S-2A, registered N11JC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Stoughton, Wisconsin (Private 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 directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 2024 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stoughton, Wisconsin · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-2A, built 1978 · all S-2As on the register
- Registration
- N11JC · registry record · serial 2185
- 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 while performing a touch and go landing to a private turf strip and due to forward visibility limitations in the airplane, he was in a slip during approach with the left rudder applied and the right wing in a low attitude. The wind was from the southwest at 8 to 10 knots, and he maneuvered the airplane to land to the north. The pilot stated that during the touchdown, the airplane pulled to the left, and the left wing contacted tall grass on the left side of the runway, which pulled the airplane further to the left. The pilot then lost airplane control and was unable to remain on the turf strip. The airplane came to rest upright in the grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that contributed to the accident, but thought the brake might have locked up during the landing. The reported brake issue could not be substantiated, and further information could not be obtained from the pilot. The pilot did not possess a rating for single-engine land airplanes but had flown 2,159 hours in single-engine airplanes and 174 hours in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot’s most recent flight review was about 5 years prior to the accident.
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 defining event
- Other weather encounter during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Training › Recurrent instruct/training › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Flight time: 7,354 hours in all; 174 in this make and model; 5.8 in the last 90 days; 0.4 in the last 30 days; 7,354 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 30, 2019
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 499 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,575 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-A1A (piston); 499 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 30,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KMSN, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMSN 192053Z VRB05KT 10SM BKN300 22/02 A3034 RMK AO2 SLP275 T02220022 56016
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 CEN25LA024.