# Accident 20230430005859A: Titan Aircraft TORNADO, Lewisville, AR, April 30, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 30, 2023, 17:03 local time
- Place: Lewisville, AR
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.2655° N, 93.5740° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.2655&lon=-93.5740&mi=10
- Aircraft: N31311, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N31311) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Titan TORNADO (registry code 059014A, https://openairdocs.org/model/titan-tornado) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax 912S series (registry code 55570, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912s-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: TITAN AIRCRAFT TORNADO
- Reported engine: ROTAX 912S
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN23FA167](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA167) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230430005859A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 CEN23FA167](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA167), Apr 30, 2023: Titan Tornado (N31311), Lewisville, AR, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The non-certificated pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control at an altitude too…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.