Pitts S-2B accident near Chandler, Arizona, October 19, 1994
On October 19, 1994, a Pitts S-2B, registered N15KR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chandler, Arizona (Chandler Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 proper alignment with the runway during landing rollout. A contributing factor was sun glare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 1994 · cases in 1994
- Place
- Chandler, Arizona · Chandler Municipal · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-2B · all S-2Bs on the register
- Registration
- N15KR · registry record · serial 5031
- 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 THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 22L CENTERLINE AT A SPEED WHICH WAS 'A LITTLE EXCESSIVE.' THE RUNWAY WAS 4,850 FEET LONG BY 75 FEET WIDE. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED THREE TIMES AS IT SLOWLY VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE COULD NOT CLEARLY SEE BECAUSE HE WAS 'BLINDED BY THE COMBINATION OF SUN AND BUGS.' WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REALIGN THE AIRPLANE WITH THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A TAXIWAY SIGN. THE POSITION OF THE SUN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS DETERMINED TO BE ABOUT 20 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY HEADING AND 1.4 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON.
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: 760 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 675 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,854 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 16, 1994; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-O4AS (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Chandler Air Service
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22L, 4,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 1 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N15KR on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Pitts S-2 13 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Pitts 46 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-O4AS 434 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Polacca Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,985 since 1982 · 468 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,431 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX95LA012.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.