Mechanical & Engine Failure · NTSB ERA09LA356
Chris Mitchell TITAN TORNADO — Chadbourn, NC
| Date | June 18, 2009 |
| Location | Chadbourn, NC |
| Aircraft | Chris Mitchell TITAN TORNADO (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Loss of engine power (total) |
| Pilot age | Unknown |
| Pilot total time | 27 hrs · Student / very low time |
| Time in type | 27 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-(general)-(general)-Not specified
What happened
Witnesses observed the pilot perform a normal engine run-up prior to takeoff. Shortly after takeoff they heard a momentary reduction in power, followed by an increase, before the engine completely lost power. The pilot initiated a right turn back to the airstrip and the witnesses observed the airplane stall, enter a spin, and impact the ground. Inspection of the wreckage revealed that the airplane impacted the ground at a steep angle and came to rest inverted. Fuel spillage was evident at the accident site. The fuel selector handle was found in an intermediate position (not on or off); however, this condition was observed after the extraction of the pilot from the wreckage. The engine was sent to the manufacturer’s facilities where a test run was performed. Multiple runs were accomplished and no evidence of a malfunction or failure was noted.