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Atlas / NTSB / CEN25LA024

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CEN25LA024

2024-10-19 Stoughton, Wisconsin, United States Airport · PVT None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N11JC

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

AEROTEK PITTS S-2A

Year of manufacture

1978 · 46 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING AEIO-360 SER (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19790518

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A02AA5

Registrant of record

WAHLIN DONALD D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that while performing a touch and go landing to a private turf strip and due to forward visibility limitations in the airplane, he was in a slip during approach with the left rudder applied and the right wing in a low attitude. The wind was from the southwest at 8 to 10 knots, and he maneuvered the airplane to land to the north. The pilot stated that during the touchdown, the airplane pulled to the left, and the left wing contacted tall grass on the left side of the runway, which pulled the airplane further to the left. The pilot then lost airplane control and was unable to remain on the turf strip. The airplane came to rest upright in the grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that contributed to the accident, but thought the brake might have locked up during the landing. The reported brake issue could not be substantiated, and further information could not be obtained from the pilot. The pilot did not possess a rating for single-engine land airplanes but had flown 2,159 hours in single-engine airplanes and 174 hours in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot’s most recent flight review was about 5 years prior to the accident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Training-Recurrent instruct/training-Pilot
  • Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Qualification/certification-Pilot
  • Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_CEN25LA024.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.