Pitts S2B accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 4, 1994
On July 4, 1994 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Pitts S2B, registered N61PS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE POOR WELDING QUALITY OF THE MANUFACTURER, RESULTING IN THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE AILERON ATTACHMENT BRACKET.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1994 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S2B · all S2Bs on the register
- Registration
- N61PS · registry record · serial 5230
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING ACROBATIC MANEUVERS WHEN HE HEARD A 'POP' AND NOTED THAT HIS RIGHT UPPER AILERON WAS LOOSE. HE SLOWED DOWN, AND WAS ABLE TO RETURN AND LAND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED A FAILURE OF THE UPPER RIGHT INBOARD AILERON WELDED BRACKET. FURTHER METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION AT THE SAFETY BOARD LABORATORY REVEALED 3 DISTINCT FATIGUE ORIGINS BETWEEN THE TOE OF THE WELD AND THE WELDED ZONES. THE WELD ITSELF EXHIBITED SHARP AND HIGH WELD CROWNS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 879 hours in all; 374 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 741 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 740 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 1993; 160 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from FXE, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N61PS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.