Titan TORNADO II N50402

Summary

On 14 December 2014 at about 17:43 local time, a Titan TORNADO II registered N50402 was involved in an accident near Catlett, Virginia, 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

14 December 2014 at 17:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Catlett, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

38.6167, -77.6258

Aircraft

Titan TORNADO II

Registration

N50402

Category

Airplane

Year built

1995

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Warrenton → Warrenton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15FA076

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The sport pilot departed on a local flight, his third flight in the accident airplane. Review of radar data indicated that the flight maneuvered in the local area for about 13 minutes before the accident occurred. One witness stated that the airplane was flying level about 150 feet above ground level when the engine began to sound like it was "missing." He then stated that the airplane then began a series of three 360-degree, level right-hand turns while over a wooded area. Upon completion of the third turn, the engine noise stopped, and the airplane descended vertically into the trees below. Examination of the accident site indicated a relatively short debris path, consistent with a steep descent. The witness observations and the impact geometry are consistent with the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, resulting in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. The engine was successfully operated after the accident at power settings ranging from idle to full power. While the weather conditions around the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide engine power settings, the airplane was maneuvering in level flight before the accident so the throttle was likely set above a glide power setting. Examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction; however, no definitive determination could be made regarding the engine's operational state at the time of impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.