ERA21LA305

NTSB accident investigation · Tucker Twin · Unionville, TN · July 28, 2021

Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal report
Date
July 27, 2021, 19:00 local (Jul 28, 2021, 00:00 UTC)
Place
Unionville, TN
Injuries
1 serious, 1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N327TTTucker Twin
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 3
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20210727011999A
Case key
103575

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 directional control during a precautionary landing, which resulted in a collision with a fence post.

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

According to the pilot, during climb out, the engine of the weight-shift control aircraft momentarily lost all power. After leveling off, the engine regained power, and he performed a precautionary landing in a field. The landing was uneventful, but when he applied the brakes, he mistakenly applied the foot throttle. The aircraft accelerated, and he lost directional control. The aircraft impacted a fence post and sustained substantial damage to the airframe. An examination of the engine did not reveal the source of the momentary loss of engine power.

Factual narrative

On July 27, 2021, about 1900 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Twin weight-shift control aircraft, N327TT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Unionville, Tennessee. The pilot received serious injuries, and the passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he was on a local flight with a friend. After departure, he was climbing through 500 ft above ground level when the engine momentarily lost all power. After leveling off, engine power was regained, and he conducted a precautionary landing in a field. The landing was uneventful, but when he applied the brakes, he mistakenly applied the foot throttle. The aircraft accelerated, and he lost directional control. The aircraft collided with a fence post and sustained substantial damage to the airframe. Additionally, the engine sustained impact damage and its fuel lines were destroyed. The aircraft was recovered, and during the examination of the engine, the source of the brief loss of engine power could not be determined.

Aircraft

Registration
N327TT
Reported as
Tucker Twin
Category
Weight-shift, amateur-built
Serial number
17092
Built
2007
Airframe hours
100
Engine
Rotax 583, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
Last inspection
Condition · July 27, 2021 · 0.5 hours before
Departed
Unionville, TN
Destination
Same as departure
Equipment
Video recording device

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
54
Injuries
Serious
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Seat
Rear
Restraint
Lap only
Flight hours
2,000 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
40° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
84 °F, dew point 77 °F
Altimeter
30.04 inHg
Observed at
LUG, 30 nm away

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 6, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.1 MB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.