Pitts Special SC-1 accident near Jerome, Idaho, August 15, 2001
On August 15, 2001 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Pitts Special SC-1, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N8351, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jerome, Idaho (Jerome County 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. Factors included: an incorrectly manufactured or adjusted rudder travel setting, resulting in restricted movement of the left brake; the mechanic's failure to adjust the rudder travel to the correct tolerance; and the pilot's operation of the aircraft with a known equipment deficiency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2001 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jerome, Idaho · Jerome County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts Special SC-1, amateur-built · all SC-1s on the register
- Registration
- N8351 · registry record · serial 314F210
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who had just bought the airplane, reported that after a "perfect" three-point landing, the aircraft began a slow drift to the right. He reported that he applied left rudder pedal to counteract the right drift, with no response. He stated that he then added more left rudder, still with no response. The pilot reported that he then applied left brake, but did not get any braking action. The aircraft subsequently departed the runway at a speed estimated by the pilot at about 35 MPH. The left main landing gear then hit a hole and the aircraft came to rest, nose down, about 25 feet off the right side of the runway near the runway exit point. A post-accident inspection disclosed that the left rudder could deflect about 50 to 55 degrees, with maximum right rudder deflection measured at 30 degrees. Full design rudder travel is 30 degrees in either direction. With the rudder at 50 to 55 degrees, the rudder pedal rests against the firewall, preventing the left brake from being applied. The pilot reported that the aircraft received an annual inspection by the previous owner (a certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic) on the date of sale, in July 2001. Follow-up interviews with the previous owner/mechanic and the accident pilot disclosed that the previous owner/mechanic was aware of an anomaly which prevented braking from being applied with rudder pedal deflected at the time he performed the annual inspection, and that he informed the pilot of this anomaly on the day the sale took place.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 9,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 15, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 585 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2001; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U56 Rigby ID at 9:00 pm
- Destination: JER Jerome ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 5,201 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from JER
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA01LA151.