On July 19, 2008, at 1258 central daylight time, an Aerotek Pitts S-2A single-engine aerobatic airplane, N80053, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during takeoff from the Cleveland Municipal Airport (6R3), Cleveland, Texas. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant and registered owner of the airplane, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
Witness stated that the airplane was departing on runway 16 (4,998 feet long by 75 feet wide) at 6R3. Shortly after rotation, the airplane entered a "barrel roll" maneuver. The airplane "veered off to the right, nose and right wing low, [until] it hit the west edge tree line." The airplane came to rest in a wooded area approximately 300 yards west of the runway centerline. Acquaintances stated the pilot had been known in the past to attempt an aerobatic maneuver shortly after takeoff.
Examination of the airplane by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector showed the airplane wreckage was located approximately 3/4 down the length of the runway. Flight control continuity was established and the propeller was destroyed. The wreckage was fragmented and came to rest facing the direction of departure. The airplane wreckage was located within a 25-foot diameter.
A review of the pilot's airman records revealed that the 87-year old private pilot had a not had a current medical certificate since 2002. On his 2000 application for an airman medical application, the pilot reported a total of 1,010 flight hours and 20 hours in the previous 6 months. The pilot's logbook was not recovered.
An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Southeast Texas Forensic Center, Beaumont, Texas, on July 20, 2008, and specimens were retained for toxicological analysis by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Civil Aeromedical Institute's (CAMI) Forensic and Accident Research Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Toxicological tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and all screen substances.