Aerotek PITTS S-1T accident near Billings, Montana, December 2, 2012
On December 2, 2012 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Aerotek PITTS S-1T, registered N49309, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Billings, Montana (Billings 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inability to maintain directional control during the landing roll because of the failure of the tailwheel support bracket.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 2012 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Billings, Montana · Billings · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerotek PITTS S-1T · all PITTS S-1Ts on the register
- Registration
- N49309 · registry record · serial 1006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After completing a personal flight, the pilot was returning to his home airport. He stated that on the first landing attempt, he was not able to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, and he aborted the landing. On the second landing attempt, he again was not able to maintain directional control and subsequently realized that there was not enough remaining runway for him to successfully abort the landing. The airplane departed the runway surface and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the weld that attached the tailwheel tube to the fuselage had separated. This would have allowed for the tailwheel assembly to freely move left and right without corresponding rudder input, and thus the pilot would not be able to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
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
What happened, in order
- Flight control sys malf/fail during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Gear attach fittings (on fus) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,350 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 890 as pilot in command; 70 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 14, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 955 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 2010; 28 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-A1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BIL Billings MT at 9:00 pm
- Destination: BIL Billings MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28L, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.29 inHg
- Observation at 9:30 pm from BIL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 WPR13LA063.