# NTSB DCA15CA117: Titan Aerospace Holdings Solara 50, N950TA, Otto, NM, May 1, 2015 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: May 1, 2015, 11:07 local (17:07 UTC) - Place: Otto, NM - Coordinates: 35.097778, -105.966392 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0978&lon=-105.9664&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Aircraft structural failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/337) - Highest injury: No injuries - Status: Completed, report November 19, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - NTSB case key (mKey): 91125 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA15CA117 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/91125/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91125 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA15CA117 ## Probable cause structural failure of the left wing due to an overspeed condition. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Wing structure: spar (on wing)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035711): Aircraft › Aircraft structures · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Titan Aerospace Holdings SOLARA 50, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035711/cases.md?model=061003F), [All aircraft, 43 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035711/cases.md) - [Turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Ability to respond/compensate (probable cause); cases with it: [Titan Aerospace Holdings SOLARA 50, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000/cases.md?model=061003F), [All aircraft, 92 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Aircraft structural failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/337) (defining event); cases with it: [Titan Aerospace Holdings SOLARA 50, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/337/sequence.md?model=061003F), [All aircraft, 290 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/337/sequence.md) ## Analysis On May 1, 2015 at 11:07 Mountain Daylight Time (MDT), a Titan Solara 50 solar-powered unmanned experimental aircraft registration N950TA crashed shortly after takeoff, near Otto, New Mexico. The aircraft was operated as a scaled, proof of concept test flight. The aircraft was destroyed, there were no injuries. According to the operator, at 11:02:43 the aircraft began a controlled winch tow and rolled on the ground until liftoff. After the tow release at approximately 30 ft above ground level (AGL), the pilot transitioned to flying the aircraft via instruments and the aircraft was powered up to full throttle for a straight ahead climb. The pilot immediately recognized that the instruments were exhibiting complicating latency and focused on flying the aircraft to a safe altitude and position where the external pilot (copilot) could take control and visually land the aircraft. The pilot initiated a left hand turn when the aircraft reached approximately 160 feet AGL, which continued until the aircraft reached approximately 385 feet AGL. During this time the pilot made two power reductions, attempting to stabilize the aircraft at an altitude and heading acceptable for handover to the copilot to conduct an external visual landing. Handover of controls to the copilot was not attempted during the flight. The operator indicated that the aircraft then encountered significant thermal air mass activity and began to both climb and exceed its design airspeed for an extended period of time. Visible deformation of the wing structure was witnessed by ground personnel during the overspeed condition. It achieved a maximum altitude of approximately 520 feet AGL just prior to structural failure of the left outboard wing. These thermal events were not immediately evident to the pilot due to latency of the aircraft instruments. It is believed the subsequent wing deformation caused the aircraft to begin an uncontrollable right hand turn that the pilot was unable to arrest. Coincident with the significant wing deformation, the aircraft began an uncontrollable and erratic flight path roughly straight ahead in a rapid descent. The left outboard wing section separated from the aircraft during the first portion of the descent and the right outboard wing section separated later in the descent. The aircraft impacted the ground at 11:06:59 with the majority of the structure intact and in a nose down attitude. There were no meteorological indicators that clearly showed evidence of significant pre-launch thermal activity in the test flight area. The aircraft was destroyed when it struck the ground in a rural unpopulated area. Local terrain surrounding the takeoff area, intended landing area (same as takeoff location), and accident site consisted of flat desert grassland. ## Factual narrative On May 1, 2015 at 11:07 Mountain Daylight Time (MDT), a Titan Solara 50 solar-powered unmanned experimental aircraft registration N950TA crashed shortly after takeoff, near Otto, New Mexico. The aircraft was operated as a scaled, proof of concept test flight. The aircraft was destroyed, there were no injuries. According to the operator, at 11:02:43 the aircraft began a controlled winch tow and rolled on the ground until liftoff. After the tow release at approximately 30 ft above ground level (AGL), the pilot transitioned to flying the aircraft via instruments and the aircraft was powered up to full throttle for a straight ahead climb. The pilot immediately recognized that the instruments were exhibiting complicating latency and focused on flying the aircraft to a safe altitude and position where the external pilot (copilot) could take control and visually land the aircraft. The pilot initiated a left hand turn when the aircraft reached approximately 160 feet AGL, which continued until the aircraft reached approximately 385 feet AGL. During this time the pilot made two power reductions, attempting to stabilize the aircraft at an altitude and heading acceptable for handover to the copilot to conduct an external visual landing. Handover of controls to the copilot was not attempted during the flight. The operator indicated that the aircraft then encountered significant thermal air mass activity and began to both climb and exceed its design airspeed for an extended period of time. Visible deformation of the wing structure was witnessed by ground personnel during the overspeed condition. It achieved a maximum altitude of approximately 520 feet AGL just prior to structural failure of the left outboard wing. These thermal events were not immediately evident to the pilot due to latency of the aircraft instruments. It is believed the subsequent wing deformation caused the aircraft to begin an uncontrollable right hand turn that the pilot was unable to arrest. Coincident with the significant wing deformation, the aircraft began an uncontrollable and erratic flight path roughly straight ahead in a rapid descent. The left outboard wing section separated from the aircraft during the first portion of the descent and the right outboard wing section separated later in the descent. The aircraft impacted the ground at 11:06:59 with the majority of the structure intact and in a nose down attitude. There were no meteorological indicators that clearly showed evidence of significant pre-launch thermal activity in the test flight area. The aircraft was destroyed when it struck the ground in a rural unpopulated area. Local terrain surrounding the takeoff area, intended landing area (same as takeoff location), and accident site consisted of flat desert grassland. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N950TA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N950TA-2018-03-15), registration cancelled 2018-03-15, S/N 0001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: TITAN AEROSPACE HOLDINGS INC SOLARA 50 (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Titan Aerospace Holdings SOLARA 50](https://openairdocs.org/model/titan-aerospace-holdings-solara-50) (registry code 061003F) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, unmanned - Serial number: 0001 - Year built: 2014 - Airframe hours: 0.1 - Engines: Ramazani & Assoc. M19 electric - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Flight test, Part 91 - Operator: Titan Aerospace Holdings Inc - Registered owner: Titan Aerospace Holdings Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, April 27, 2015, 0 hours before - Departed: NA, Otto, NM - Destination: NA, Otto, NM - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: NA, Private Aerodrome - Equipment: Video recording device, Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: none; flight engineer, commercial, airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 12, 2014; seat: right; restraint: none; flight hours: 6,000 total, 1 in this make and model, 2,400 as pilot in command, 13 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review March 31, 2014; seat: left; restraint: none; flight hours: 296 total, 1 in this make and model, 250 as pilot in command, 0 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 30.18 inHg - Observed at: 0E0, 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20150501023959A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150501023959A), May 1, 2015: Titan Aerospace Holdings Inc SOLARA 50, Moriarty, NM, Destroyed. UAS - the left polyhedral separated from the left wing which caused an out of control situation. The aircraft came down on Titan?s property. No injuries and no… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 19, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91125. 607 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 607 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40434148&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.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. --- 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.