- Date
- December 16, 1995, 10:38 local (15:38 UTC)
- Place
- Plymouth, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N88TKBitonti Wittman WT-8
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951216040799A
- Case key
- 10169
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
a stuck exhaust valve resulting in an overtemperature condition of the cylinder, the pilot's continued operation without corrective maintenance, and his failure to maintain aircraft control.
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
The pilot reported that when he started the engine he had a hard time keeping the engine running at idle. After takeoff, at about 300 feet, he noticed the cylinder head temperature was in the red zone. The pilot retarded the throttle and a total power loss occurred. During descent he lost control of the airplane and it collided with two trailers and two boats. Postcrash examination revealed that an exhaust valve on the #1 cylinder was stuck open, and that compression in the #3 cylinder was weak. The pilot stated that he had hot cylinder head temperatures before, and that pulling back on the throttle had worked previously.
Factual narrative
On December 16, 1995, at 1038 eastern standard time (est), a Bitonti-Wittman WT-8, N88TK, was destroyed during a collision with the ground shortly after takeoff from Canton-Plymouth Mettetal Airport, Plymouth, Michigan. The private pilot reported minor injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on filed.
According to the pilot's written statement, he said when he started the engine that morning he had a hard time keeping the engine running below 1100 RPM. After takeoff at about 300 feet, the pilot observed the engine's cylinder head temperature had reached the red zone, so he pulled back on the throttle. When he pulled back slightly on the throttle, total power loss occurred. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to avoid houses and noticed a small clearing in a storage lot so he decided to land there. On descent, the pilot lost control of the airplane and the right wing struck two trailers and two boats. The airplane was consumed by post crash fire. The pilot was found sitting under the left wing and was pulled to safety.
A Federal Aviation Administration Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI), represented the NTSB on-scene. The PMI said the engine examination revealed that the #1 cylinder had no compression because of a stuck open exhaust valve and the compression in cylinder #3 was weak. The exhaust valve springs were very weak. The pilot told the PMI that in the past he has had hot cylinder head temperatures before and that pulling back on the throttle had worked previously.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88TK
- Reported as
- Bitonti Wittman WT-8 (WITTMAN WT)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- MSB-1
- Airframe hours
- 25
- Engine
- Continental C85-12F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bitonti, Frank E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · December 1, 1994 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- 1D2
- Airport
- 1D2 · Canton-Plymouth Mettetal, runway 32, 6,914 × 160 ft, asphalt
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 230 total · 23 in this make and model · 167 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- YIP, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.