Pitts S1-T accident near Vero Beach, Florida, August 27, 2000
On August 27, 2000 at about 12:23 pm local time, a Pitts S1-T, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N112JG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain control in flight, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent, and collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2000 · about 12:23 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S1-T, amateur-built · all S1-Ts on the register
- Registration
- N112JG · registry record · serial STEPH
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
N112JG, an experimental amateur built Pitts model S1-T, was found in an orange grove, about 5 miles southwest of the airport, with the pilot in the aircraft. There were no witnesses to the accident. According to an FAA inspector and a representative from the engine manufacturer, who conducted the postcrash examination, the fuselage and bottom wings exhibited compression damage, consistent with that of an aircraft near a flat attitude, with little sign of forward movement. Both main landing gear assemblies had been crushed, while the cockpit, empennage and top wing had been relatively undamaged. The engine manufacturer's representative said that there had been crushing damage to the bottom engine cowl, and the propeller and crankshaft showed that there was damage consistent with rotation at impact. The engine manufacturer's representative also said that there was no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction to the engine that would have prevented it from producing power. The NTSB examined components of the engine's fuel injection system, and no anomalies were noted which would have prevented the engine from producing power.
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: 312 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 91 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 22, 2000; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VRB at 12:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 180°F (82°C), dew point 167°F (75°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:54 pm from VRB, 5 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.
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.