Shear TITAN TORNADO N183T

Summary

On 2 December 2003 at about 23:00 local time, a Shear TITAN TORNADO registered N183T was involved in an accident near Brooks, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 December 2003 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Brooks, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.0472, -122.9556

Aircraft

Shear TITAN TORNADO

Registration

N183T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salem → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA04LA024

1 person died.

The failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering due to a hypoglycemic condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Three witnesses said they observed the aircraft flying overhead and hearing a problem with the engine, as if it were cutting in and out. Two additional witnesses reported hearing the engine open all the way and at full throttle before seeing it nose dive into a set of power lines, subsequently impacting the ground. A sixth witness said he observed the airplane flying low with the engine having a low pitch sound before flying overhead and pitching to the right into a dive. A seventh witness observed the aircraft flying between 500 and 600 feet above ground level before observing it rise to an extremely high [pitch] angle, rolling over on its back, and plunging to the ground after hitting power lines. The aircraft came to rest on its left side with its wings and fuselage twisted. There was no post crash fire. A post-accident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no anomalies which would have prevented normal operations. It was confirmed by a family member that at the time of the accident the uncertificated pilot took two types of insulin daily and was taking five prescription medications for various medical conditions. Medical records indicate the pilot had a history of coronary heart disease, having undergone quintuple heart bypass surgery in 1999. The pilot was also diabetic, having been insulin dependant since 1977. Post-accident toxicology testing revealed the presence of multiple medications, including two prescription antidepressants detected in the blood and liver, and one over-the-counter antihistamine medication detected in the blood and liver. As recently as 5 weeks prior to the accident, medical records indicate the pilot suffered from memory lapses and dangerously low blood sugar.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.