Pitts S2 accident near Morrisville, Vermont, September 28, 2019
On September 28, 2019 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1984 Pitts S2, registered N5310S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Morrisville, Vermont (Morrisville-Stowe State 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and nose down.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2019 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Morrisville, Vermont · Morrisville-Stowe State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S2 B, built 1984 · all S2s on the register
- Registration
- N5310S · registry record · serial 5004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the biplane veered right. He applied left rudder and brakes, the left wingtip scraped the runway, and the biplane exited the runway to the left. He then applied more brakes to avoid a drainage ditch, and the biplane nosed down. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the lower, left wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command; 1,700 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 17, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,305 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 22, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,696 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO 540 D4A5 (piston); 258 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MVL Morrisville VT at 3:00 pm
- Destination: MVL Morrisville VT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 3,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from KMVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 21, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.