20141214023619A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Titan TORNADO II · Catlett, VA · December 14, 2014

Date: December 14, 2014 · 12:47 local
Place: Catlett, VA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N50402
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA15FA076
Reported as: Titan Tornado II
Reported engine: JABIRU 2200A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 152 total2 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days

N50402Registration cancelled Feb 7, 2017 · Titan TORNADO IIS/N D96618COHK0196 · Built 1995 Airframe modelTitan TORNADO II Engine modelJabiru 22004 cycle

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.

On December 14, 2014 at approximately 1230PM, N50402, owned and piloted by Mr. Benjamin hummel, departed runway 15 at warrenton-fauquier airport (hwy), circled to the west and then proceeded to the east. He was airborne for approximately 12 minutes before crashing into a wooded area near Catlett, VA. The pilot was killed and the aircraft destroyed. Mr. Hummel was not certificated to fly the Titan Tornado II aircraft and with his sport pilot rating, had a limitation to fly Ercoupe 415 series without rudder pedals.

An eyewitness near the crash site stated that while he was working in his yard, he heard a small aircraft engine making good power, then started sputtering. When he made visual contact with the aircraft in the sky, he observed that it was in a downward spiral manuever and then the engine quit. At that point the aircraft nose dived into a wooded area from an estimated height of 100 feet.

Aircraft was discovered in the woods intact without any fire.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 14, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 1230PM, N50402, OWNED AND PILOTED BY MR. BENJAMIN HUMMEL, DEPARTED RUNWAY 15 AT WARRENTON-FAUQUIER AIRPORT (HWY), CIRCLED TO THE WEST AND THEN PROCEEDED TO THE EAST. HE WAS AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 12 MINUTES BEFORE CRASHING INTO A WOODED AREA NEAR CATLETT, VA. THE PILOT WAS KILLED AND THE AIRCRAFT DESTROYED. MR. HUMMEL WAS NOT CERTIFICATED TO FLY THE TITAN TORNADO II AIRCRAFT AND WITH HIS SPORT PILOT RATING, HAD A LIMITATION TO FLY ERCOUPE 415 SERIES WITHOUT RUDDER PEDALS.

AN EYEWITNESS NEAR THE CRASH SITE STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS WORKING IN HIS YARD, HE HEARD A SMALL AIRCRAFT ENGINE MAKING GOOD POWER, THEN STARTED SPUTTERING. WHEN HE MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT IN THE SKY, HE OBSERVED THAT IT WAS IN A DOWNWARD SPIRAL MANUEVER AND THEN THE ENGINE QUIT. AT THAT POINT THE AIRCRAFT NOSE DIVED INTO A WOODED AREA FROM AN ESTIMATED HEIGHT OF 100 FEET.

AIRCRAFT WAS DISCOVERED IN THE WOODS INTACT WITHOUT ANY FIRE.

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 ERA15FA076Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportCatlett, VAThe 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.Dec 14, 2014 · Substantial damage