Amateur-built PITTS S-1 accident near Meriden, Connecticut, September 11, 1996
On September 11, 1996 at about 3:25 pm local time, a amateur-built PITTS S-1, registered N27DD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Meriden, Connecticut (Markham Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane during take off.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 1996 · about 3:25 pm local time
- Place
- Meriden, Connecticut · Markham Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PITTS S-1
- Registration
- N27DD · registry record · serial 644H
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
There were no witnesses to the accident. The pilot stated that he made 'S' turns as he taxied to the runway. He said that he taxied onto the runway without stopping and added full power to get the tail of the airplane airborne as soon as possible. He stated that the tail got airborne, and before he knew it, the airplane was headed toward trees, which were 100 feet to the left of the runway. The pilot stated that he was not sure if he was airborne, but felt he must have been, and he could have made a successful takeoff, if the trees had not been there. The pilot stated that he corrected back to the right, and the airplane's right wing hit the ground. The pilot did not remember what happened after the right wing hit the ground. The airplane came to rest upright on its main landing gear with the engine separated from the airframe and lodged between the ground and the lower right wing.
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: 1,056 hours in all; 596 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 596 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1996; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MMK at 3:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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.