PITTS AEROBATICS S-2B near Muskogee, OK — 2009-05-09

Probable cause

Inadequate supervision by the certified flight instructor, resulting in a delayed stall recovery attempt.

NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) and his private pilot student were practicing stalls. They were initiating the stalls about 3,000 feet above ground level (AGL) and recovering by 1,500 feet AGL. During the third stall, the student pilot initiated recovery and the airplane was descending straight ahead at about 1,500 feet AGL. The CFI took control of the airplane between 800 and 1,000 feet AGL and determined the airplane was in a straight ahead stall. The CFI was unable to recover the airplane to normal flight and it impacted trees in a forested area. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot was seriously injured.

NTSB coding

• Aerodynamic stall/spin · Maneuvering
• Maneuvering Stall
• Attention / Monitoring
• Delayed Action

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