Pitts Special S-1 accident near Lincoln, Illinois, August 31, 1991
On August 31, 1991 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Pitts Special S-1, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N237V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lincoln, Illinois (Logan County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1991 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lincoln, Illinois · Logan County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts Special S-1, amateur-built · all S-1s on the register
- Registration
- N237V · no longer on the register · serial 189-H
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED COMPLETE POWER LOSS CLIMBING PAST 800 FEET AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING AT THE DEPARTURE FIELD AND TOUCHED DOWN IN CORN BEFORE REACHING THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND CARTWHEELED. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 10,800 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,279 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 1991; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: DEC Decatur IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 4,225 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 N237V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CHI91DEV04.