On May 19, 2012, a DIAL DAVID L TITAN TORNADO II (registration N158TX) was involved in an aviation accident near Checotah, OK. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The noncertificated pilot's loss of airplane control while maneuvering during initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s ostentatious display. This summary draws on records from NTSB.
A 2012 Titan Tornado II crashed near Checotah, Oklahoma, killing the pilot. The aircraft made a steep climb after takeoff before nosing into the ground. The pilot lacked a current certificate.
Accident Overview and Flight History On May 19, 2012, at approximately 1600 central daylight time, a David L. Dial Titan Tornado II, registration N158TX, struck terrain during initial climb after departing from a rural private airport near Checotah, Oklahoma. The pilot was fatally injured, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 for a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft was departing for a local flight when the accident occurred. Witnesses reported that after passing the departure end of the runway, the airplane leveled off about 100 feet above ground level, accelerated, and then made a steep, nearly vertical, nose-up climb. It banked left to turn northbound, with the right wingtip rising very high. The aircraft then banked and turned tighter before suddenly nosing into the ground. Other individuals noted that the pilot had previously performed similar low-altitude maneuvers and sharp turns, and one person stated he was not surprised by the accident because the pilot seemed to enjoy showing off while flying. ## Personnel and Aircraft Information The pilot, age 42, did not hold a currently valid pilot certificate. He had been issued an FAA student pilot certificate and medical certificate without restriction in 1996, which expired in 1998. A second student pilot certificate was issued on August 17, 2001, and expired on September 1, 2003. The pilot’s logbook and other flight records were unavailable, so his experience could not be determined. Although he did not hold a current medical certificate, the aircraft met the definition of a light sport aircraft, for which the FAA’s medical requirement is a valid driver’s license. The aircraft was a two-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear, amateur-built airplane, serial number D95EA81C0HK0158, manufactured in 1998. It was powered by a Rotax 912UL 80-horsepower engine, serial number 4152685, manufactured in 1994. The rear-mounted pusher engine drove a Warp Drive model R 3661 ground-adjustable composite propeller. FAA records show an experimental category (amateur built) airworthiness certificate was issued on November 4, 1998, and an FAA registration certificate was issued to the pilot on August 19, 2008. A weight and balance record provided to the FAA by the original builder on October 18, 1998, showed an actual empty weight of 514 pounds. The kit builder’s specifications listed a recommended maximum gross weight of 1,000 pounds. No aircraft logbooks or maintenance records were available, and the flight hours of the airplane or engine could not be determined. ## Meteorological, Airport, and Wreckage Information The closest official weather observation station was at Muskogee, Oklahoma (MKO), about 15 nautical miles northeast of the accident site. At 1553, the automated weather observing system at MKO reported wind from 160 degrees at 18 knots, gusting to 24 knots, visibility of 10 miles, clear of clouds, temperature 30 degrees Celsius, dew point 13 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.91 inches of mercury. There was no record of radio communications or radar contact with the accident airplane. The unnamed private landing strip was located about 3 miles west of the center of Checotah, Oklahoma, at an estimated elevation of about 640 feet above mean sea level. A single grass runway 18–36 was observed, estimated to be about 1,200 feet long by about 50 feet wide, and appeared to be maintained as an airport and in regular use. The south end of the runway was on the immediate north edge of U.S. Highway 266, which was oriented east-west. Single-phase electric power distribution lines about 30 feet above ground level were on the north side and parallel to the highway, marked with orange balls where they crossed the extended runway centerline. The airport had no runway markings, no wind-sock or other wind indicator, and no navigational aids or air traffic control services. FAA records do not show that the operator had ever registered the airport as required by 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 157. The wreckage came to rest upright in a flat grassy field about 1,000 feet southeast of the south end of runway 18. The nose of the fuselage was oriented generally south, and the wings were oriented generally east-west. A substantial fuel spill was present, but there was no postimpact fire. Emergency responders reported the pilot had been secured by a 4-point seat belt and shoulder harness safety restraint system. An impact crater about six inches deep corresponded to impact compression damage on the aircraft nose. Ground scars in front of the wings corresponded to impact damage on the leading edges of the wings. The left main gear leg was bent aft, and the cockpit was impact compressed to the rear. Both wings displayed leading edge compression damage consistent with a terrain impact of about 40 degrees nose down, and both wings had structural deformation. The impact damage on the left wingtip was slightly more severe than on the right wingtip. The empennage tube displayed “scorpion tail” bending where it exited the rear of the lower fuselage. The elevator was bent and showed substantial damage, while the vertical fin and rudder did not show obvious damage. Flight control continuity was confirmed for the ailerons, elevator, and rudder. Except for the outboard half of one propeller blade found about 50 feet to the west, all portions of the airplane were present at the scene. The propeller hub remained attached to the engine output shaft, and both ailerons and flaps remained attached. The tail surfaces, including the elevator and rudder, remained attached. The airspeed indicator needle was impact frozen at 64 miles per hour, and impact damage prevented examination of other instrument indications. The engine, mounted on the top rear of the fuselage, was almost completely separated from its mounts. There was evidence of an old dirty oily mist residue in the engine area and on the tail surfaces and aft section of the wings. Adequate amounts of engine coolant and engine oil were observed, and there was no evidence of engine thermal distress or lubrication distress. The fuel tank still contained about a half tank of fuel. The wreckage examination found no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. ## Medical and Pathological Information An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The autopsy report attributed the pilot’s death to internal injuries due to blunt force trauma and stated the manner of death as accident. No significant natural disease was identified by the pathologist. Forensic toxicology was performed on specimens from the pilot by the FAA Aeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The toxicology report stated that no cyanide was detected in blood (cavity) and no ethanol was detected in urine. Additional findings included 0.059 ug/ml (ug/g) amphetamine detected in urine, 0.121 ug/ml (ug/g) methamphetamine detected in urine, and 0.007 ug/ml (ug/g) methamphetamine detected in blood. The NTSB Chief Medical Officer reviewed the report narrative, the autopsy report, the toxicology results, the pilot’s FAA airman medical certification file, and other documents. The pilot was first issued an FAA student pilot certificate and medical certificate without restriction in 1996. In 2001, he again applied for an FAA student pilot certificate and medical certificate and was initially deferred for a concern about his visual field of view. His vision was subsequently evaluated by an ophthalmologist and found to be essentially normal. The pilot’s FAA student certificate and third-class medical certificate were then issued without restriction. In 2001, at the time of his medical certificate application, the pilot did not report any total flight hours. Toxicology testing by the medical examiner did not identify any drugs or alcohol. Toxicology testing by the FAA’s Civil Aeromedical Institute identified 0.007 ug/ml of methamphetamine in cavity blood and 0.121 ug/ml in urine, as well as 0.059 ug/ml of its primary metabolite, amphetamine, in urine. No ethanol was detected. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance and is sometimes used medically to treat ADHD, ADD, and narcolepsy. It is unknown whether the pilot was being medically treated for any of those conditions because the investigator-in-charge was not able to contact any of the pilot’s medical providers or to examine the pilot’s medical records.