- Date
- March 23, 1985, 12:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Liberty, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9438Gross Taylor Titch
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850323021609A
- Case key
- 6668
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to witnesses interviewed, pilot made a takeoff on runway 2, holding the plane just a few feet off the runway with a steep pull up at the end of the runway. It was then observed doing a steep bank, low altitude 180 degree turn and proceeded diagonally back across the runway at an altitude less than 25 feet and made another steep pull-up and another steep turn at which time the airplane flew into the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9438
- Reported as
- Gross Taylor Titch (TAYLOR TIT)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- RITP 10
- Engine
- Continental C90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roy O'Dell Millikan, doing business as Rt. 1 Box 4227
- Registered owner
- Darryl F. Gross
- Last inspection
- Unknown · June 15, 1984
- Departed
- 2A5 · Liberty, NC
- Destination
- 41A · Madison, NC
- Airport
- 2A5 · Causey
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 322 total · 313 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Observed at
- 2A5
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.