ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 217290
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 4 November 2018 |
| Time: | 14:15 |
| Type: | Titan Tornado 1 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N38FD |
| MSN: | T00503SOHK0383 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2016 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 265 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotax 503 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | NE of Louisa County Airport (KLKU), Louisa, VA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Louisa, VA (LKU) |
| Louisa, VA (LKU) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane took off and made a left turn to travel north of the airport. A witness at the airport reported that the airplane sounded louder than normal during departure. About 1 minute 18 seconds after takeoff, the airplane climbed to an altitude of about 400 feet above ground level at a groundspeed of 60 knots. During the next 22 seconds, the airplane descended about 300 ft and slowed to a groundspeed of 34 knots before impacting a field. The lack of a discernable debris path, asymmetric damage to both wings, and the airplane's relatively low ground speed immediately before the accident all suggest that the airplane likely departed controlled flight after entering an aerodynamic stall and spin.
Examination of the engine revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded the engine from operating normally. The muffler had a hole measuring about 2 inches in diameter where the muffler rear mount attached to the engine. Although the pilot had a headset, if the separation of the muffler had occurred during the accident flight, the increased engine noise due to the hole in the muffler could have distracted the him, and resulted in his subsequent loss of control and an aerodynamic stall/spin.
The pilot had longstanding hypertensive cardiomyopathy, which could have increased his risk of an arrhythmia that could have caused palpitations, shortness of breath, anxiety, and/or fainting. However, the pilot's medications may have mitigated that risk. Therefore, the investigation could not determine from the available information whether the pilot's heart disease contributed to the circumstances of the accident.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed and the airplane's exceedance of its critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and spin at a low altitude.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Media:
A man was killed when the experimental aircraft he was piloting crashed on Sunday afternoon, police said. https://t.co/PsCvbUD29X
— WHSVnews (@WHSVnews) 5 novembre 2018
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Nov-2018 20:58 | Geno | Added |
| 04-Nov-2018 21:00 | Geno | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 05-Nov-2018 18:04 | gerard57 | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source] |
| 05-Nov-2018 18:36 | Captain Adam | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Damage, Narrative, Plane category] |
| 05-Nov-2018 19:15 | Captain Adam | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 05-Nov-2018 19:35 | Captain Adam | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Source, Narrative, Plane category] |
| 05-Nov-2018 21:09 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Location, Nature] |
| 06-Nov-2018 09:49 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, Plane category] |
| 06-Nov-2018 17:06 | harro | Updated [Cn, Embed code] |
| 22-Apr-2020 17:01 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Plane category, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation