# Accident 19951216040799A: Amtrwt WITTSV, Plymouth, MI, December 16, 1995

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 16, 1995, 10:38 local time
- Place: Plymouth, MI
- Airport: Mettetal-Canton Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.3699° N, 83.4608° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3699&lon=-83.4608&mi=10
- Aircraft: N88TK, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N88TK-2013-09-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bitonti Frank Edward WITTMAN W-8 (registry code 9790858, https://openairdocs.org/model/bitonti-frank-edward-wittman-w-8) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C85 series (registry code 17008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTRWT WITTSV
- Reported engine: CONT C8512F
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI96LA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA054) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19951216040799A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI96LA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA054), Dec 16, 1995: Bitonti Wittman WT-8 (N88TK), Plymouth, MI, destroyed. Probable cause: a 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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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