No fatalities

9 Aug 2014: AVIAT Pitts S2B — DENAIR INC — Lakeville, NY

Lakeville, NY, United States

On 9 Aug 2014, an AVIAT Pitts S2B operated by DENAIR INC was involved in an aviation accident near Lakeville, NY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to favor the right side of the relatively narrow turf runway while landing, resulting in inadvertent contact with tall grass and a berm. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot landing a tailwheel biplane at a private turf runway veered right into tall grass and a berm after feeling a 'tickle' in the control stick, striking both wingtips and sustaining substantial damage.

Incident Overview

A pilot flying an aerobatic, tailwheel-equipped biplane experienced a loss of directional control during the landing roll at a private turf runway, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. The pilot had planned to attend a fly-in event at the destination airport.

Sequence of Events

Upon overflying the runway—which measured 2,500 feet in length and 60 feet in width—the pilot observed multiple airplanes parked along the left side. In response, he decided to favor the right side during the landing. During the landing roll, the pilot reported feeling a "tickle" in the control stick. Subsequently, the aircraft veered to the right, departing the runway surface and entering tall grass and a berm located along the runway's right edge.

Aircraft Motion and Damage

After leaving the runway, the airplane rolled left and right, causing both wingtips to strike the ground. The collision with the terrain resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome