Aviat Pitts S2B accident near Lakeville, New York, August 9, 2014
On August 9, 2014 at about 1:45 pm local time, a 1990 Aviat Pitts S2B, registered N893DC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lakeville, New York (Lakeville airport). 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 pilot's decision to favor the right side of the relatively narrow turf runway while landing, resulting in inadvertent contact with tall grass and a berm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2014 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeville, New York · Lakeville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat Pitts S2B, built 1990
- Registration
- N893DC · registry record · serial 5182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the aerobatic, tailwheel-equipped biplane planned to attend a fly-in event at the destination airport. As he overflew the 2,500-foot-long by 60-foot-wide private turf runway, he noted that numerous airplanes were parked along its left side, and elected to favor the right side of the runway during the landing. During the landing roll the pilot felt a "tickle" in the control stick, and the airplane veered right into the tall grass and berm located along the runway's right edge. The airplane subsequently rolled left and right, striking both wingtips on the ground in the process, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,063 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 4.4 in the last 90 days; 1.5 in the last 30 days; 1,650 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 23, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 705 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 2014; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 (piston); 705 hours total
- Operator: Denair INC
The flight
- Departed from: D38 Canandaigua NY at 1:30 pm
- Destination: NY15 Lakeville NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,800 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from KDSV, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.