Amateur-built PITTS SPECIAL accident near San Benito, Texas, October 6, 1988
On October 6, 1988 at about 2:15 pm local time, a amateur-built PITTS SPECIAL, registered N3S, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Benito, Texas. 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
IMPROPER TORQUING OF THE 'B' NUT FITTING ON THE MAIN FUEL SUPPLY LINE TO THE POWERPLANT AT THE FIREWALL AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 1988 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- San Benito, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PITTS SPECIAL PITTS SPEC
- Registration
- N3S · no longer on the register · serial 200
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FLIGHT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER & THE PILOT TRIED TO GLIDE THE AIRPLANE TO AN AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE. HE SELECTED A FIELD FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING; HOWEVER, DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED ROUGH TERRAIN & WAS DAMAGED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A FUEL LINE HAD SEPARATED AT THE FIRE WALL, WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF POWER.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 502 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 29, 1989; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 644 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T66 at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.
Other NTSB records under N3S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.