Christen Industries PITTS S-2B accident near Springfield, Tennessee, August 19, 2007
On August 19, 2007 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Christen Industries PITTS S-2B, registered N487J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springfield, Tennessee (Holenthawall 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
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2007 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Springfield, Tennessee · Holenthawall Airport · map
- 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
- N487J · no longer on the register · serial 5127
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot of the Pitts S-2B, he made one pass over the runway prior to landing, to observe the wind sock at the airport. He noted a slight crosswind from the west, but he felt it was not very strong. The pilot performed a normal landing on runway 35, a 2,000-foot long turf runway, and during the initial roll-out, a gust of wind blew the airplane to the left. The pilot applied full right rudder to counteract the wind, but was unsuccessful. As the airplane approached the runway edge, the pilot applied full throttle to initiate a go-around. The airplane impacted a ditch off the left side of the runway prior to becoming airborne. The pilot reported no pre-impact anomalies with the airplane. The winds reported at an airport 30 miles to the south, at the time of the accident, were from 210 degrees at 8 knots, gusting to 17 knots.
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: 2,140 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,945 as pilot in command; 91 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,940 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M91 Springfield TN at 7:50 pm
- Destination: 3TN9 Springfield TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from BNA, 30 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.
Other NTSB records under N487J 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.