Pitts S1C accident near Plant City, Florida, October 5, 1994
On October 5, 1994 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Pitts S1C, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N2997G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Plant City, Florida (Plant City airport). 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 FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT RUNNING OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND NOSING OVER IN SOFT TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1994 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Plant City, Florida · Plant City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S1C, amateur-built · all S1Cs on the register
- Registration
- N2997G · registry record · serial BM01
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE LANDING THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND THE NOSE TURNED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN AND BEFORE THE PILOT COULD REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER IN MUD.
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,735 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 11, 1994; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-D1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,350 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from TPA, 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 N2997G 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.