- Date
- October 18, 2019, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Marble Canyon, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N49PDTitan Titan Tornado II
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191018020629A
- Case key
- 100453
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with sand hummocks.
Findings · 4
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 reported that, during the takeoff roll, a "gust came up," and the airplane exited the runway to the right onto sand hummocks, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll, a "gust came up" and the airplane exited the runway to the right on to the sand hummocks, the landing gears collapsed, and the airplane impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on an airport about 12 nm away reported that, about 15 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 350° at 6 knots. The pilot reported that the was variable at 5 knots, gusting up to 15 knots. The airplane departed on runway 21.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N49PD
- Reported as
- Titan Titan Tornado II (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- D98912SOHK0310
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 620
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 22, 2018
- Departed
- L41 · Marble Canyon, AZ
- Destination
- PGA · Page, AZ
- Airport
- L41 · Marble Canyon, runway 21, 3,715 × 35 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Electronic flight bag or handheld 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 9, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 694.7 total · 480.7 in this make and model · 598 as pilot in command · 13.6 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 5.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -9 °F
- Observed at
- KPGA, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 24, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.