PITTS 12 — Ocklawaha, FL

What happened

The pilot and pilot-rated passenger departed on a local flight and were performing aerobatic maneuvers over a lake. Flight track data indicated that the pilot performed at least three loops; the data ended as the airplane was climbing and beginning a descent. Witnesses report seeing the airplane in a spiral as it entered the lake. Recorded video of the accident showed the airplane in an inverted flat spin, which was followed by a nose-down spin to water contact. The engine was heard continuously operating throughout the video until water impact. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a preaccident malfunction or failure that would have prevented normal operation.

Overall, the flight track data, witness observations, and video indicated that the pilot lost control of the airplane while he was likely attempting another aerobatic maneuver. Furthermore, a pilot who flew with the accident pilot when he first purchased the airplane (1 year before the accident) offered to provide flight training to the accident pilot, but the pilot declined, stating that the training was too expensive and that he knew how to fly an airplane. Because the pilot’s logbook was not found, the investigation was unable to determine the pilot’s total flight experience in the airplane make and model and whether that played a role in the accident.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.