August 21, Shirley, N.Y. / Pitts S-2B

At about 12:45 eastern time, a Pitts S-2B crashed while maneuvering to land at Brookhaven Airport, killing the flight instructor and leaving the commercial pilot/student seriously injured. The student pilot broadcast a simulated engine-out landing and turned toward the runway. However, a witness said the airplane appeared very slow and very, very low. He then saw the right wing drop and the airplane struck the ground in the clear area just short of runway 24. The instructor had more than 3,000 hours, and the second pilot had about 350 hours. No pre-accident anomalies were found.