In December 2000 a tower controller in southern Florida received a single radio transmission:
“Mayday mayday mayday Pitts 260DB in an unrecoverable flat spin at 3,500 feet.”
Unrecoverable Spins
Key Takeaways:
- Multiple fatal flat spin accidents in acrobatic aircraft were attributed to excessive weight and/or the center of gravity (CG) being aft of the permissible limits.
- An aft CG condition can flatten a spin, rendering the rudder ineffective and making recovery "extremely difficult or impossible," even for experienced pilots.
- While a standard spin recovery technique (PARE) exists, pilots must understand that the CG range for good spin recovery behavior is far more restricted than for normal flight, emphasizing the critical importance of strict adherence to weight and balance.
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