Titan TORNADO II accident near Catlett, VA
On December 14, 2014, a Titan TORNADO II (airplane) was involved in an accident near Catlett, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 14, 2014
- Place
- Catlett, VA
- Aircraft
- Titan TORNADO II · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 38.617°N, 77.626°W
- NTSB ID
- 20141214X73255
Official records · ERA15FA076
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 14, 2014, about 1243 eastern standard time, a Titan Tornado II, N50402, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain in Catlett, Virginia. The sport pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight, which departed Warrenton Fauquier Airport (HWY), Warrenton, Virginia about 1230. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to a witness, when he observed the airplane, it was in level flight approximately 150 feet above ground level. Thirty seconds later the airplane "started having engine problems, like it was missing." With a model of an airplane in his hand, the witness demonstrated how the airplane completed multiple orbits to the right at the same altitude. As the airplane completed the third orbit, the engine noise ceased and the airplane descended vertically to a wooded area between two open fields, about 4.5 miles northeast of HWY. Radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed uncorrelated primary targets (no beacon or altitude information) in a track that began about 1.3 nautical miles southeast of the departure end of runway 15 at HWY about 1230. The track progressed in a clockwise fashion within a radius of about 3 miles from HWY before continuing eastward toward Walnut Hill Airport (58VA) in Calverton, Virginia. After passing 58VA, the track turned northward, with the last radar return located about 0.5 nautical mile south of the accident site, at 1242. PE
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
- Beech B99, Sep 23, 1985
- Beech 65, Sep 10, 1995
- Beech 200, Oct 24, 2004
- Piper PA-31-310, Nov 14, 1982
Browse: Virginia
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
