Amateur-built PITTS S-1S accident near Coushatta, Louisiana, August 8, 1999
On August 8, 1999 at about 3:48 pm local time, a amateur-built PITTS S-1S, registered N90HS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coushatta, Louisiana (Red River Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's poor in-flight decision to perform aerobatics at a low altitude and slow airspeed, resulting in the inadvertent stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1999 · about 3:48 pm local time
- Place
- Coushatta, Louisiana · Red River Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PITTS S-1S
- Registration
- N90HS · registry record · serial 7-0233
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amateur-built aerobatic airplane entered a spin and impacted the ground after the pilot attempted two snap rolls prior to landing, while at a low altitude and at a slow airspeed. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot told three aerobatic pilot rated witnesses that he was going to attempt two consecutive snap rolls prior to landing. The witnesses tried to talk the pilot out of the idea, stating that he would not have enough altitude or energy to complete the maneuver. The witnesses stated that after the pilot completed a half Cuban 8, 'he pulled the power to idle and then made a left roll to upright, followed by a snap roll to the right.' According to the witnesses, during the entry of the second snap roll, 'the airplane was low on energy and low in altitude and the airplane entered a nose down spin.' The airplane was observed making two turns in the spin before impacting the trees in a nose down attitude. No pre-impact anomalies were noted during the examination of the wreckage.
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
- Flight time: 405 hours in all; 191 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0R7 at 3:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from SHV, 38 miles away
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 N90HS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 FTW99FA212.