Pitts S-1E accident near Carson City, Nevada, November 17, 1990
On November 17, 1990 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Pitts S-1E, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N9QB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carson City, Nevada (Carson airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF ROLL AND THE ABRUPT PULLUP TO A PREMATURE TAKEOFF.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 17, 1990 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Carson City, Nevada · Carson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-1E, amateur-built · all S-1Es on the register
- Registration
- N9QB · registry record · serial SB3
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STALLED HIS AIRCRAFT WHILE ATTEMPTING A FORMATION TAKEOFF. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HIS AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DRIFT INTO THE OTHER AIRCRAFT AND HIS CORRECTIONS WERE NOT SUFFICIENT TO ARREST THE DRIFT. HE PULLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE AIR TO AVOID A COLLISION AND STALLED. HE REPORTED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 3,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 341 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 26, 1990; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from RNO, 20 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.
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 LAX91DXQ01.