Christen Industries PITTS S-2B accident near Englewood, Colorado, July 18, 1997
On July 18, 1997 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Christen Industries PITTS S-2B, registered N5351N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Englewood, Colorado (Front Range airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inaccurate compensation for wind conditions and improper recovery from a bounced landing by the CFI pilot in command. A factor was a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1997 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Front Range · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries PITTS S-2B
- Registration
- N5351N · registry record · serial 5064
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a touch and go landing at an intermediate airport, the flight instructor said he encountered a strong crosswind and performed a bounced landing. During the ensuing takeoff, the aircraft struck the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) control box located beside the runway. The instructor flew the aircraft back to the departure airport and during landing the left main landing gear collapsed. Subsequent inspection revealed damage to the landing gear, left lower wing, and the bottom of the fuselage. Recorded wind at the time of the encounter with the PAPI constituted a left quartering tailwind at 3.5 knots.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 16,000 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 3, 1997; 115 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA CO at 12:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 8,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from DIA, 330 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.