Aerotek PITTS - S2S accident near Clarksville, Virginia, September 25, 1995
On September 25, 1995 at about 4:14 pm local time, a Aerotek PITTS - S2S, registered N260HP, was destroyed in an accident near Clarksville, Virginia. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
continued flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which resulted in spatial disorientation and his inability to control the airplane. The weather condition and the lack of instruments in the airplane were related factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 1995 · about 4:14 pm local time
- Place
- Clarksville, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aerotek PITTS - S2S PITTS - S2 · all PITTS - S2Ss on the register
- Registration
- N260HP · registry record · serial 1007
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While en route to position the airplane for an airshow, the instrument-rated pilot continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) in an airplane that was not equipped with an attitude indicator, turn coordinator, or directional gyro. The accident pilot advised the pilot who was flying in formation that his airspeed was increasing. Subsequently, the airplane impacted in a wooded area while in a steep descent. An examination of the pilot's log book revealed evidence that he had flown in marginal weather conditions in the accident airplane on previous occasions.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,045 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 124 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,104 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 19, 1995; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-D4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NTU Virginia Beach VA at 2:38 pm
- Destination: TYS Knoxville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from TDF, 29 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 N260HP 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.