Pitts S-2B accident near Sherman, Texas, August 31, 1998
On August 31, 1998 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Pitts S-2B, registered N52TW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sherman, Texas (Grayson County 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 failure of the pilot in command to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing flare. A factor was the gusty, crosswind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1998 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sherman, Texas · Grayson County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-2B · all S-2Bs on the register
- Registration
- N52TW · no longer on the register · serial 5323
- 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 tail wheel equipped airplane lost directional control while landing on runway 17L due to a crosswind condition. The private pilot stated that just prior to the wheels contacting the runway a gust of wind 'from 090 degrees' pushed the airplane to the right of the runway centerline. The airplane contacted the runway to the right of the runway centerline and the pilot began to use left rudder and braking to maintain directional control of the airplane. Subsequently, the tail of the airplane began to swing around to the right and the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid approximately 15 feet and came to rest upright on the runway. The pilot estimates that at the time of the accident the winds were from 090 degrees at 10 to 12 knots and gusting to 15 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 239 hours in all; 122 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 159 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 112 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 21, 1997; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F39 at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17L, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.