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19951216040799A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Amtrwt Wittsv · Plymouth, MI · December 16, 1995

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
December 16, 1995 · 10:38 local
Place
Plymouth, MI
Airport
Mettetal-Canton Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N88TK
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI96LA054
Reported as
Amtrwt Wittsv
Reported engine
Continental C8512F
Fatal injuries
0
N88TKRegistration cancelled Sep 30, 2013 · Bitonti Frank Edward WITTMAN W-8S/N MSB-1 · Built 1993Airframe modelBitonti Frank Edward WITTMAN W-8Engine modelContinental C85 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Hot cyl temp on climbout. Retarded power. Engine quit. Hit trailer boat landing. NR1 exhaust valve stuck open. (-23) on December 16, 1995, frank bitonti crash landed his experimental wittman W-8 aircraft, N88TK. On takeoff at about 300 feet Mr. Bitonti's cylinder head temperature reached the red zone so he pulled back on the throttle. When he pulled back on the throttle his engine stopped. He then made a 180 degree turn to avoid impact with houses. He didn't see a good clearing to make an emergency landing and had to quickly choose between railroads tracks and a storage lot. Mr. Bitonti said that he noticed a small clearing in the storage lot so he decided to land there. He quickly descended into the lot with no power. He stated that as he was on descent he was caught in a crosswind and lost control. N88TK hit a trailer and two boats before coming to a rest in a small clearing in the storage lot. Mr. Bitonti was found sitting under the left wing of the burning airplane and was pulled to safety. Mr. Bitonti sustained two broken ribs, a bruised hip, and multiple bruises on the face. N88TK was destroyed by the accident and fire. The engine was ex amined after the accident. The #1 cylinder had no compression and the compression in cylinder #3 was weak. The exhaust valve on the #1 cylinder was stuck open. The exhaust valve springs were very weak and could be compressed easily with hand force.

As the FAA filed it

HOT CYL TEMP ON CLIMBOUT. RETARDED POWER. ENGINE QUIT. HIT TRAILER BOAT LANDING. NR1 EXHAUST VALVE STUCK OPEN. (-23) ON DECEMBER 16, 1995, FRANK BITONTI CRASH LANDED HIS EXPERIMENTAL WITTMAN W-8 AIRCRAFT, N88TK. ON TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 300 FEET MR. BITONTI'S CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE REACHED THE RED ZONE SO HE PULLED BACK ON THE THROTTLE. WHEN HE PULLED BACK ON THE THROTTLE HIS ENGINE STOPPED. HE THEN MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO AVOID IMPACT WITH HOUSES. HE DIDN'T SEE A GOOD CLEARING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AND HAD TO QUICKLY CHOOSE BETWEEN RAILROADS TRACKS AND A STORAGE LOT. MR. BITONTI SAID THAT HE NOTICED A SMALL CLEARING IN THE STORAGE LOT SO HE DECIDED TO LAND THERE. HE QUICKLY DESCENDED INTO THE LOT WITH NO POWER. HE STATED THAT AS HE WAS ON DESCENT HE WAS CAUGHT IN A CROSSWIND AND LOST CONTROL. N88TK HIT A TRAILER AND TWO BOATS BEFORE COMING TO A REST IN A SMALL CLEARING IN THE STORAGE LOT. MR. BITONTI WAS FOUND SITTING UNDER THE LEFT WING OF THE BURNING AIRPLANE AND WAS PULLED TO SAFETY. MR. BITONTI SUSTAINED TWO BROKEN RIBS, A BRUISED HIP, AND MULTIPLE BRUISES ON THE FACE. N88TK WAS DESTROYED BY THE ACCIDENT AND FIRE. THE ENGINE WAS EX AMINED AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE #1 CYLINDER HAD NO COMPRESSION AND THE COMPRESSION IN CYLINDER #3 WAS WEAK. THE EXHAUST VALVE ON THE #1 CYLINDER WAS STUCK OPEN. THE EXHAUST VALVE SPRINGS WERE VERY WEAK AND COULD BE COMPRESSED EASILY WITH HAND FORCE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI96LA054Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPlymouth, MIa stuck exhaust valve resulting in an overtemperature condition of the cylinder, the pilot's continued operation without corrective maintenance, and his failure to maintain aircraft control.Dec 16, 1995 · Destroyed