Titan T51 N154DF

Summary

On 27 October 2018 at about 17:15 local time, a Titan T51 registered N154DF was involved in an accident near Valkaria, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 October 2018 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Valkaria, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Valkaria Airport (X59)

Coordinates

27.9625, -80.5644

Aircraft

Titan T51

Registration

N154DF

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Valkaria → Valkaria

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19LA032

1 person was seriously injured.

The partial, then total, loss of engine power due to detonation and associated damage to several pistons as a result of an overly lean fuel-to-air ratio.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that, shortly after takeoff on a local test flight of the experimental, amateur-built airplane, the engine surged, with a corresponding fuel pressure fluctuation. Because the engine was developing partial power, he elected to return to the airport for landing, but while on the base leg of the airport traffic pattern, the engine lost total power. The airplane subsequently impacted a small retention pond and came to rest partially submerged in water. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed damage to the Nos. 2 and 5 cast aluminum pistons consistent with detonation. The fuel pumps and engine control unit were operationally tested with no discrepancies reported. Inspection of the cooling system components revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction, and no evidence of warpage of the cylinder heads was observed. The owner reported continuing engine overheating problems that occurred at sustained “moderate” power settings, which he was unable to correct despite extensive troubleshooting efforts including re-routing of the coolant reservoir. Although he believed he was operating the engine with a rich fuel-to-air ratio, when compared to an identical airplane that was operating successfully, the accident engine was being operated in a lean fuel-to-air ratio at all power settings (500 to 5,000 in 250 rpm increments). This finding was consistent with the pilot’s report of overheating at sustained moderate power settings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.