Titan MUSTANG T-51 N153JW

Summary

On 2 September 2020 at about 18:13 local time, a Titan MUSTANG T-51 registered N153JW was involved in an accident near Brighton, Colorado, 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 September 2020 at 18:13

Classification

Accident

Location

Brighton, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Van Aire (CO12)

Coordinates

39.9947, -104.7139

Aircraft

Titan MUSTANG T-51

Registration

N153JW

Category

Airplane

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Brighton → Brighton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA375

1 person died.

The pilot’s loss of airplane control while maneuvering in the traffic pattern.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the initial takeoff, the pilot proceeded about 10 miles east of the airport. He subsequently returned a few minutes later and entered a right-hand traffic pattern and performed two touchandgo landings. Video footage of the final touch-and-go appeared normal; no anomalies were noted. A witness reported that the airplane entered a right turn after the final takeoff and climbed to about 200 ft above ground level (agl). Shortly afterward, the airplane appeared to become “unstable” and “rolled over and entered into a spin.” Performance data indicated that after the final takeoff, the airplane climbed to about 175 ft above ground level and accelerated to about 90 mph (78 knots). Over the next 4 seconds, the airplane slowed to about 70 mph (61 knots). Shortly afterward, the airplane entered a gradual descent, and the airspeed continued to decay. In addition, the bank angle began to increase and subsequently exceeded 90°. A postrecovery examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. The engine, reduction gearbox, and propeller assembly exhibited damage consistent with the production of engine power at impact. The performance data revealed that the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall as the bank angle increased during the descent. The witness statement was consistent with an inadvertent aerodynamic stall from an altitude that did not allow for recovery before impact with the terrain. However, the reason for the preceding decay in airspeed could not be determined from the available information.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.