Pitts S-2A accident near Benton, Kansas, May 18, 1998
On May 18, 1998, a Pitts S-2A, registered N31517, was substantially damaged in an accident near Benton, Kansas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot did not flare the airplane properly during the forced landing. A factor was the engine failure for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 1998
- Place
- Benton, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-2A · all S-2As on the register
- Registration
- N31517 · no longer on the register · serial 2249
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had recently installed the engine in the airplane after it had been overhauled. The purpose of the flight was a maintenance check flight and engine break-in. The pilot conducted the normal preflight and engine run-up procedures in accordance with the Airplane Flight Manual. He reported no abnormal indications were observed. The takeoff and initial climbout were normal with no anomalies observed. At approximately 400 feet agl, the engine sputtered and lost partial power. He established a nose down attitude to maintain airspeed. He turned to the left. He reported the engine lost complete power and he conducted a forced landing to a wheat field adjacent to the airport. A witness reported the nose pitched down about 45 degrees after the engine failure. He reported, 'The airplane continued on this -45 degree line, wings level and in control until impact.' The witness reported that during the power-on portion of the flight, no smoke or vapor trails were seen. After the engine quit, the propeller continued to windmill. During the inspection of the airplane, no mechanical anomalies to the airframe or engine were noted. The engine was put on a test stand and it operated normally.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,642 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,108 as pilot in command; 250 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,624 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 1998; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-A1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1K1
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from ICT, 18 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.