Pitts SPECIAL S-1C accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, February 19, 1983
On February 19, 1983 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Pitts SPECIAL S-1C, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N507LS, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Petersburg, Florida. 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 1983 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts SPECIAL S-1C SPECIAL S-, amateur-built
- Registration
- N507LS · registry record · serial ALS-001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THIS WAS THE PLT'S 2ND FLT IN HIS HOME BUILT ACFT. DURING HIS PREFLIGHT, HE CHECKED THE SIGHT GAUGE FOR FUEL, BUT DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL TANK. THE GAUGE INDICATED THAT THERE WAS ABOUT 17 GAL OF FUEL REMAINING. DURING FLIGHT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND RAN ONLY A FEW SECONDS WHEN A RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED. SUBSEQUENTLY, A CRASH LANDING WAS MADE ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE HAD INCORPORATED AN ON/OFF VALVE IN A FUEL LINE TO THE SIGHT GAUGE, SO HE COULD TURN IT OFF IF A FUEL LEAK OCCURRED IN THE GAUGE SYSTEM. HE REPORTED THAT EARLIER, HE HAD TURNED THE VALVE OFF & HAD FORGOTTEN IT, THUS TRAPPING FUEL IN THE GAUGE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HE ESTIMATED THAT HE HAD ABOUT 3 GAL OF FUEL ON BOARD WHEN HE TOOKOFF.
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: 356 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 645 in the last 90 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, February 7, 1983; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPG St. Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.