What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 30, 2023 a 2007 Titan Tornado; serial number: D99912SOHK0356; privacy data omitted departed a private airfield in Lewisville Arkansas and crashed immediately after takeoff. The 46-year old male pilot sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was the second of three aircraft departing the private airfield.
FAA investigator in charge (iic) dispatched to the scene on may 01, 2023 and found the aircraft in a heavily wooded area approximately 100 yards from the road. The aircraft wreckage was all identified and confined to an area of about 50 feet. The right wing lodged in a tree top approximately 70 feet in the air.
Flight control continuity could only be partially established at the scene due to the catastrophic impact damage; however, all damage appeared consistent with overstress.
The engine and two of three propeller blades were found at the scene. The engine had partially separated from the aircraft but was otherwise in good condition. The engine appeared to have adequate oil and fuel supply and exhibited mechanical continuity of the drivetrain and valve-train components while the propeller was rotated by hand.
The propeller blade damage and tree markings left by the propeller as the aircraft was descending through the trees appear to show the engine was powered at the time of impact.
Post-accident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. An electronic flight information system device and digital engine monitor were retained by the NTSB for further examination.
The airfield owner witnessed the aircraft take off to the west, climb very steeply to about 300 feet, and turn left crosswind. The pilot of the third aircraft witnessed the aircraft jackknife into the trees. Witnesses stated the surface wind was gusting from the west at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 30, 2023 A 2007 TITAN TORNADO; SERIAL NUMBER: D99912SOHK0356; ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRFIELD IN LEWISVILLE ARKANSAS AND CRASHED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE 46-YEAR OLD MALE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE SECOND OF THREE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING THE PRIVATE AIRFIELD.
FAA INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE (IIC) DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE ON MAY 01, 2023 AND FOUND THE AIRCRAFT IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS FROM THE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS ALL IDENTIFIED AND CONFINED TO AN AREA OF ABOUT 50 FEET. THE RIGHT WING LODGED IN A TREE TOP APPROXIMATELY 70 FEET IN THE AIR.
FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY COULD ONLY BE PARTIALLY ESTABLISHED AT THE SCENE DUE TO THE CATASTROPHIC IMPACT DAMAGE; HOWEVER, ALL DAMAGE APPEARED CONSISTENT WITH OVERSTRESS.
THE ENGINE AND TWO OF THREE PROPELLER BLADES WERE FOUND AT THE SCENE. THE ENGINE HAD PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT BUT WAS OTHERWISE IN GOOD CONDITION. THE ENGINE APPEARED TO HAVE ADEQUATE OIL AND FUEL SUPPLY AND EXHIBITED MECHANICAL CONTINUITY OF THE DRIVETRAIN AND VALVE-TRAIN COMPONENTS WHILE THE PROPELLER WAS ROTATED BY HAND.
THE PROPELLER BLADE DAMAGE AND TREE MARKINGS LEFT BY THE PROPELLER AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING THROUGH THE TREES APPEAR TO SHOW THE ENGINE WAS POWERED AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE REVEALED NO PRE-ACCIDENT MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION. AN ELECTRONIC FLIGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVICE AND DIGITAL ENGINE MONITOR WERE RETAINED BY THE NTSB FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
THE AIRFIELD OWNER WITNESSED THE AIRCRAFT TAKE OFF TO THE WEST, CLIMB VERY STEEPLY TO ABOUT 300 FEET, AND TURN LEFT CROSSWIND. THE PILOT OF THE THIRD AIRCRAFT WITNESSED THE AIRCRAFT JACKKNIFE INTO THE TREES. WITNESSES STATED THE SURFACE WIND WAS GUSTING FROM THE WEST AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.