Amateur-built PITTS S-1E accident near St. Francis, Kansas, November 18, 1990
On November 18, 1990 at about 9:10 pm local time, a amateur-built PITTS S-1E, registered N53RB, was destroyed in an accident near St. Francis, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 1990 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- St. Francis, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PITTS S-1E
- Registration
- N53RB · no longer on the register · serial 8-0048
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY THREE WITNESSES DOING ACROBATIC MANEUVERS AT LOW ALTITUDE FOR FIVE MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES DESCRIBE THE AIRPLANE'S LAST MANEUVER AS A VERTICAL CLIMB UNTIL IT STOPPED AND FELL OFF INTO AN INVERTED SPIN. THEY ALL CONCLUDE THEIR STATEMENTS WITH THE IMPRESSION THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING A RECOVERY FROM THE SPIN WHEN THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,160 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 102 in the last 90 days; 3,080 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 57 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 29, 1990; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5K0 Bird City KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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.
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.