Pitts S-2B accident near Naples, Florida, April 26, 1995
On April 26, 1995 at about 11:12 pm local time, a Pitts S-2B, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N711BT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Naples, Florida (Naples Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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
The failure of the tail wheel landing gear system for undetermined reasons. This resulted in an on-ground loss of control on landing rollout, ground loop, and collapse of the right main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 1995 · about 11:12 pm local time
- Place
- Naples, Florida · Naples Municipal Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-2B, amateur-built · all S-2Bs on the register
- Registration
- N711BT · no longer on the register · serial 5063
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered to the left on landing rollout. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a full stop. Examination of the airplane revealed the right hand spring on the tail wheel to be hanging free, the attachment clip was missing, and was not located. There was no evidence of distortion on the chain attached to the tail wheel spring.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 1,170 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 2,450 as pilot in command; 550 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,162 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 19, 1994; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:20 pm from APF, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.