Pitts S2C accident near Roseburg, Oregon, January 26, 2014
On January 26, 2014 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2003 Pitts S2C, registered N102ZT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Roseburg, Oregon (Roseburg Regional 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 loss of orientation while scanning for airport traffic during the turn from the base to final legs of the traffic pattern, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance from a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 2014 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Roseburg, Oregon · Roseburg Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pitts S2C, built 2003 · all S2Cs on the register
- Registration
- N102ZT · no longer on the register · serial 6057
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a local personal flight. The pilot reported that he entered the traffic pattern behind a much slower airplane and observed a second (high-wing) airplane on an apparent base leg about 1 mile south of the airport. The pilot made a right 360-degree turn while on the downwind leg for spacing. After reestablishing his position on the downwind leg, he requested position reports from local area traffic. The pilot in the first airplane in the traffic pattern reported clear of the runway; the accident pilot heard no other position reports and subsequently began a normal approach to the runway. Immediately before turning to final, the pilot from an unknown airplane transmitted that his airplane was on final for the same runway. The accident pilot then rolled the airplane wings level and checked the final approach path for traffic. He observed no traffic and subsequently rolled the airplane back into a left turn to final with a shallow left forward slip. As the airplane rolled onto short final, it collided with the upper portion of a tall tree. The pilot then landed the airplane successfully. The Federal Aviation Administration Digital Airport/Facility Directory noted that the runway had a displaced threshold of 371 ft due to a tree, which was also depicted on the airport diagram. It is likely that the pilot lost his orientation with respect to the tree when he diverted his scan to look for another airplane in the traffic pattern.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Awareness of condition
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,918 hours in all; 328 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 7,918 as pilot in command; 659 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 22, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 127 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 23, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,698 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEVI-540-O4A5 (piston); 127 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RBG Roseburg OR at 11:00 pm
- Destination: RBG Roseburg OR
- Runway 34, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KRBG
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.
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.