Amateur-built Hummer Pitts Special accident near Stockton, California, January 24, 2007
On January 24, 2007 at about 9:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Hummer Pitts Special, registered N41HR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stockton, California (Stockton Metropolitan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent ground loop/swerve, resulting in a nose over during an aborted takeoff. A contributing factor was the uneven runway surface, which restricted the pilot's ability to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2007 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Stockton, California · Stockton Metropolitan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Hummer Pitts Special
- Registration
- N41HR · registry record · serial 209
- 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, during the takeoff roll, he "thought there was a slight loss of power." He decided to abort the takeoff and reduced the power. At a speed of about 30 mph, the airplane "suddenly turned sharply as if one of the wheels went into a hole or rut." The pilot applied opposite rudder and brake, but could not stop the turn. The airplane nosed over and came to rest in the inverted position. The pilot stated that the accident was due to "a hole or rut in the pavement or debris such as a piece of aircraft tire." Examination of the runway revealed the presence of two grooved depressions running the length of the runway in the asphalt on either side of the centerline. The grooves had a V shape and were about 4 inches wide and 1 inch deep. The width of the grooves corresponded to the width of the tires installed on the main landing gear of the accident airplane.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model; 88 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 17,200 as pilot in command; 3,650 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 44 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 1, 2006
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SCK Stockton CA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: SCK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29L, 4,454 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from SCK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N41HR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 SEA07LA053.