Pitts Special S-1C accident near Punta Gorda, Florida, October 15, 1984
On October 15, 1984 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Pitts Special S-1C, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N54JB, was destroyed in an accident near Punta Gorda, Florida (Charlotte County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 1984 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Punta Gorda, Florida · Charlotte County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts Special S-1C, amateur-built · all S-1Cs on the register
- Registration
- N54JB · no longer on the register · serial 400
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS BEING TESTED FOR HI-SPEED TAXI STABILITY. DURING THE 3RD TAXI RUN THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND A DECISION TO CONTINUE FLT AROUND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WAS MADE. THE PLT NOTICED THE OIL TEMP AT 220 DEGREES & INCREASING. THE DECISION TO LAND ON RWY 21 WAS ABANDONED IN FAVOR OF 15 TO SHORTEN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE PLT ADVANCED THE THROTTLE ONTHE IDLING ENG BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE ACFT DESCENDED AND COLLIDED WITH A 25 FT TREE. THE ACFT CRASHED TO THE GROUND 1000 FT FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 15. THE INJURED PLT AND HIS WRECKED ACFT WERE SEARCHED FOR WHEN HE DID NOT RETURN. THE SEARCH PARTY LOCATED THE ACFT & PLT AT APRX 1515 EDT, ABOUT 3 HRS AFTER INITIAL TAKEOFF. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT ENG OR CONTROLS.
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: 150 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1984; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,425 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PGD Punta Gorda FL at 3:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from FMY
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 MIA85FA009.