Pitts Special S-1C accident near Lubbock, Texas, May 26, 1985
On May 26, 1985 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Pitts Special S-1C, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N22BD, was destroyed in an accident near Lubbock, Texas (Town & Country 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
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1985 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Lubbock, Texas · Town & Country · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts Special S-1C, amateur-built · all S-1Cs on the register
- Registration
- N22BD · no longer on the register · serial BD-1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT, ALTHOUGH WELL EXPERIENCED, HAD RECORDED ONLY ONE HOUR OF FLIGHT TIME IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT AND NO FLIGHT TIME IN ANY AIRCRAFT WITHIN THE 90 DAY PERIOD PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT. THIS IS THE INFORMATION RECORDED ON THE PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1) WHICH HE COMPLETED AND SIGNED FOR THE NTSB ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR. THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING HIS TAKEOFF GROUND RUN, ROLLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ASPHALT RUNWAY, CROSSED ABOUT 100 FEET OF GRASS AREA, AND ROLLED INTO A PLOWED FIELD WHERE THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED ATTITUDE.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,300 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 3,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 95 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.
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 FTW85LA232.