Pitts S-1C accident near Galeville, New York, October 22, 1994
On October 22, 1994 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Pitts S-1C, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N7037W, was destroyed in an accident near Galeville, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate maintenance inspection which resulted in disengagement of the rudder clevis bolt and the inflight loss of control during aerobatic manuevers.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 1994 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Galeville, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S-1C, amateur-built · all S-1Cs on the register
- Registration
- N7037W · no longer on the register · serial 4100
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING ACROBATICS MANEUVERS. HE ENTERED A LEFT SNAP ROLL AT 1800 FEET, AND DURING THE RECOVERY THE RIGHT RUDDER PEDAL DISCONNECTED FROM THE RUDDER CABLE. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A LEFT SPIN, FROM WHICH THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER. HE ELECTED TO PARACHUTE FROM THE AIRPLANE, WHICH CONTINUED TO SPIN TO THE GROUND. AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE AND FOUND THE CLEVIS PIN FOR THE RIGHT RUDDER WAS MISSING.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,419 hours in all; 210 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 52 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 210 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 1994; 20 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MGJ Montgomery NY at 7:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.