Pitts S-1C accident near Port Sanilac, Michigan, July 10, 1984
On July 10, 1984 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Pitts S-1C, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered CGNOD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Port Sanilac, Michigan. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1984 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Port Sanilac, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-1C, amateur-built · all S-1Cs on the register
- Registration
- CGNOD · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS ON A VFR X-COUNTRY WHEN THE WEATHER BEGAN TO DETERIORATE. THE PLT OVERFLEW SANDUSKY ARPT WITH WX 0F 1000 FTOVERCAST AND VISIBILITY 3 MILES IN FOG. HE SAID HE 'INSPECTED' THE ARPT AS A POSSIBLE LANDING SITE BUT CONTINUED THE FLT. FOLLOWING A ROAD AT 500 FT AGL HE FLEW INTO DENSE FOG OVER PORT SANILIA. HE SAID HE DESCENDED TO 300 FT AGL ANDDID A 180 DEG TURN TO FLY BACK TO SANDUSKY BUT REMAINED IN FOG AND DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. WHILE LANDING ON A SOFT FIELD THE ACFT 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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,883 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 2,237 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 540 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1984; 30 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YAM Sault St. Marie at 8:00 pm
- Destination: NC4 Guelph,Ontario
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded at 400 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 pm from MBS, 50 miles away
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.
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.