Amateur-built PITTS S1C accident near Salem, Indiana, August 4, 2000
On August 4, 2000 at about 6:30 pm local time, a amateur-built PITTS S1C, registered N87V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salem, Indiana. 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 failed to maintain control of the airplane during an intentional inverted flat spin and the initial control inputs he used in an attempt to recover were improper. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot became disoriented during the maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2000 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salem, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PITTS S1C
- Registration
- N87V · registry record · serial 1011
- 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 practicing aerobatics, he intentionally entered an inverted flat spin at 2,800 feet above ground level. The pilot reported that once the airspeed slowed to 80 mph, he added full forward stick and right rudder to enter the spin. He then added stick pressure in the direction of the spin and added power to make the spin flatten out. After one and a half turns, he neutralized the stick pressure and brought the power to idle. He then attempted to recover from the spin by adding left rudder followed by aft stick pressure. The pilot reported that although he did not recognize it at the time, he believes in hindsight, that the airplane then transitioned to a very nose low, accelerated upright spin in the same direction as the inverted spin. He reported that after approximately 15 turns, when he was unable to recover from the spin, he decided to let go of the flight controls. He reported that the spin remained steady and he still believed that he was inverted. He reported that just prior to impacting the terrain, he added right rudder and forward stick pressure. According to the pilot, the spin stopped with the airplane in a nose low attitude. The pilot reported that he added back stick pressure to raise the nose. The airplane impacted the ground in an upright attitude at high velocity after which it nosed over.
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: 5,025 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 3,775 as pilot in command; 750 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 701 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 2000; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I83 at 6:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N87V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.