- Date
- January 24, 2008, 16:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Rock Springs, WY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N142TTMacAdams Titan Tornado 912
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards Field Office
- FAA report
- 20080124009919A
- Case key
- 67439
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
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the snow covered ravine.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was circling when the airplane's engine began to run rough, then lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a snow covered ravine, resulting in substantial damage. The reason for the power loss was not determined. The pilot did not report any other anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On January 24, 2008, approximately 1620 mountain standard time, a MacAdams Titan Tornado 912, N142TT, piloted by a sport pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing 30 nautical miles north of Rock Springs, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. The local flight departed approximately 1510.
According the pilot's statement, he was circling a herd of elk taking photographs. He reduced the engine power to approximately 2,100 rpm to slow the airplane down. The pilot stated, "Suddenly, the engine began to run rough, I checked the switch on the de-icing and it was at it's highest setting (two elements on). Nothing else seemed to have an effect, and in a short span of about 30 seconds the engine died."
The pilot performed a forced landing to a snow covered ravine. During the landing, the right main landing gear separated. The right aileron was buckled and a rib in the right wing tip was bent. The pilot did not report any other anomalies with the airplane.
An examination of the airplane systems revealed no anomalies. The pilot suspected the carburetor ingested ice which resulted in the loss of engine power. The pilot did state the electric carburetor heat appeared to be operational during his preflight. Data taken from the carburetor icing probability chart showed that the temperature and dewpoint at the time of the accident did not favor the formation of carburetor ice.
According to the automated weather recorded at Rock Springs Sweetwater County Airport (RKS), the temperature was minus 12 degrees Celsius and the dewpoint was minus 17 degrees Celsius.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N142TT
- Reported as
- MacAdams Titan Tornado 912
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 99912COHK0355
- Airframe hours
- 38
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert E. MacAdams
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 1, 2007
- Departed
- RKS · Rock Springs, WY
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 180 in this make and model · 136 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 10 °F, dew point 1 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- RKS, 30 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.