Christen Industries PITTS S-2B accident near Sebring, Florida, October 13, 1991
On October 13, 1991 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Christen Industries PITTS S-2B, registered N69SZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sebring, Florida (Sebring Regional 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
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE AND COLLISION WITH TALL GRASS BESIDE THE RUNWAY. THE TALL GRASS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 1991 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sebring, Florida · Sebring Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries PITTS S-2B
- Registration
- N69SZ · registry record · serial 5191
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT AS THE TAILWHEEL SETTLED DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. A GO-AROUND WAS INITIATED AND THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE. HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND CONTACTED TALL GRASS, WHICH CAUSED THE SPADE UNDER THE LEFT BOTTOM WING TO SEPARATE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROTATED TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO REST. A POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE TO INDICATE A PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE LANDING GEAR OR BRAKE SYSTEMS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 935 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 330 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 29, 1991; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mtf, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,190 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:46 pm from SRQ, 65 miles away
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.
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.