# NTSB CEN09LA255: Whitehead Titan, N226BW, Slaughter, LA, April 20, 2009

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: April 20, 2009, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place: Slaughter, LA
- Coordinates: 30.727222, -91.142501
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.7272&lon=-91.1425&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Approach: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Completed, report August 13, 2009
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office
- NTSB case key (mKey): 73691
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN09LA255
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73691/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73691
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA255

## Probable cause

The pilot's incorrect use of pitch control, resulting in induced pitch oscillations and loss of aircraft control. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's total lack of experience in aircraft make/model, and his lack of recency of experience.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Performance/control parameters: pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Whitehead Wilburn B JR TITAN TORNADO II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md?model=05605OY), [All aircraft, 526 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md)
- [Experience/qualifications: total experience w/ equipment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Whitehead Wilburn B JR TITAN TORNADO II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025/cases.md?model=05605OY), [All aircraft, 269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025/cases.md)
- [Experience/qualifications: recent experience](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031035): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Whitehead Wilburn B JR TITAN TORNADO II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031035/cases.md?model=05605OY), [All aircraft, 76 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031035/cases.md)
- [Inspection: scheduled/routine inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061520): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot; cases with it: [Whitehead Wilburn B JR TITAN TORNADO II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061520/cases.md?model=05605OY), [All aircraft, 167 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061520/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Whitehead Wilburn B JR TITAN TORNADO II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05605OY), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Approach: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Whitehead Wilburn B JR TITAN TORNADO II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05605OY), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)
- [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Whitehead Wilburn B JR TITAN TORNADO II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05605OY), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot had just purchased the experimental light sport airplane and was ferrying it to his home airport. Witnesses said that after the airplane took off, it started what appeared to be a pilot-induced oscillation. The pilot returned to the airport and was attempting to land when it collided with terrain. The oscillations continued all the way to the ground. The former owner told FAA inspectors that the pilot was over-correcting, or chasing the oscillations. He also said the airplane was quite sensitive around the lateral (pitch) axis. The pilot was a student pilot, and had never flown this airplane or any other light sport aircraft (LSA). The last time he had flown was almost a year before the accident. The airplane's last conditional inspection was more than two years old. The airplane's previous owner told FAA inspectors that the airplane was sold on an "as is, where is" basis, and the new owner was fully aware of these stipulations.

## Factual narrative

On April 20, 2009, approximately 1100 central daylight time, a Titan Tornado II, N226BW, was destroyed when it collided with terrain during an attempted emergency landing at A&P Airpark Airport (LS77), Slaughter, Louisiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The student pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was fatally injured. The proposed cross-country flight had originated minutes before the accident, and was destined for Jonesville, Louisiana (L32). The pilot had just purchased the airplane and was going to ferry it to Jonesville, Louisiana, his home airport. The former owner of the airplane wrote, "The airplane took off on runway 36 and the takeoff looked normal until he got airborne and started what appeared to be a pilot-induced oscillation. He flew a circle still oscillating and came back to try to land. The oscillations continued all the way to the ground. His altitude appeared to be 0-20 feet when he oscillated nose down into the ground." The airport manager, also a witness, said the airplane appeared to "oscillate violently." A third witness, who was fishing nearby, saw the airplane overhead and waved at the pilot. He said everything "seemed fine." Shortly thereafter the airplane reappeared. He wrote, "It seemed like the motor was wide open, then shut off. This happened 2-3 times and the motor stopped." FAA inspectors who went to the accident site said they found no mechanical discrepancies with the airplane or engine. The former owner told them it appeared that the pilot was over-correcting, or chasing the oscillations. He also said the airplane was quite sensitive around the lateral (pitch) axis. Examination of the pilot's logbook, containing entries from September 6, 1992, to May 17, 2008, revealed he had logged a total of 196.5 flight hours in the following airplane types: Cessna 150: 10.0 Cessna 152: 15.0 Cessna 170A: 6.8 Cessna 172: 105.3 Piper PA-22-108: 32.5 Piper PA-28-140: 54.5 The logbook also revealed that the pilot was a student pilot, he had never flown a Titan Tornado II or any other light sport aircraft (LSA), and that his last flight was on May 17, 2008, almost a year before the accident. The airplane's last conditional inspection was accomplished by the airplane's previous owner on November 13, 2006, at a total airframe time of 40.1 hours. He told FAA inspectors that the airplane was sold on an "as is, where is" basis, and the new owner was fully aware of these stipulations.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N226BW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N226BW-2013-06-18), registration cancelled 2013-06-18, S/N D97618SOHK0277, built 1998 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Whitehead Titan (Tornado II)
- Registry model: [Whitehead Wilburn B JR TITAN TORNADO II](https://openairdocs.org/model/whitehead-wilburn-b-jr-titan-tornado-ii) (registry code 05605OY) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)](https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (registry code 09050, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: D97618SOHK0277
- Airframe hours: 40
- Engines: Bombardier Rotex 912S 100 hp reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Ferry, Part 91
- Operator: Walter J. Book
- Registered owner: Walter J. Book
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, November 13, 2006
- Departed: LS77, Slaughter, LA
- Destination: L32`, Jonesville, LA
- Airport: LS77, A&P Airpark Airport, runway 36, 3,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 56; injuries: fatal; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 197 total, 0 in this make and model, 158 as pilot in command

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20090420005879A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090420005879A), Apr 20, 2009: Amtr TITANTORNADO, Slaughter, LA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) Aircraft departed from A&P airpark (ls 77) in Slaughter, LA en route to jonesville, LA (L32). The student pilot made two practice runs prior to…

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 4, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73691. 5.7 MB in all.

- Witness statements (item 1, .PDF, 5.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40313767&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20statements-Redacted.PDF
- Toxicology Report (item 2, .PDF, 43 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40313768&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicology%20Report-Redacted.PDF

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.

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