History of Flight
On December 14, 2014, about 1243 eastern standard time, a Titan Tornado II, registration N50402, sustained substantial damage 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 Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
A witness reported observing the airplane in level flight approximately 150 feet above ground level. Thirty seconds later, the airplane "started having engine problems, like it was missing." The witness demonstrated with a model airplane that the airplane completed multiple right-hand orbits at the same altitude. As the airplane completed the third orbit, the engine noise ceased, and the airplane descended vertically into a wooded area between two open fields, about 4.5 miles northeast of HWY.
Radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed uncorrelated primary targets (no beacon or altitude information) starting about 1.3 nautical miles southeast of the departure end of runway 15 at HWY around 1230. The track progressed clockwise within a radius of about 3 miles from HWY, continued eastward toward Walnut Hill Airport (58VA) in Calverton, Virginia, then turned northward, with the last radar return located about 0.5 nautical mile south of the accident site at 1242.
Personnel Information
According to FAA records, the pilot held a sport pilot certificate with a category and class endorsement for airplane single-engine land. The certificate limitations stated: (1) Holder does not meet ICAO requirements. (2) Limited to Ercoupe 415 series without rudder pedals. The pilot's logbook indicated 157 total hours of flight experience, of which 2 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot had flown the airplane on two previous occasions, most recently on May 6, 2014. A flight instructor endorsement dated November 23, 2014, confirmed completion of "3-axis training requirements."
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, experimental light-sport, high-wing airplane was powered by a Jabiru model 2200A, 85-hp, four-cylinder engine driving a two-blade wooden pusher propeller. It was not equipped with a stall warning device or carburetor heating system, nor were either required. Manufacturer specifications listed the designed stall speed in landing configuration as 35 mph; flaps-retracted stall speed was not specified. The most recent condition inspection was completed on December 11, 2014, at which time the airplane had accumulated 817 total hours in service and 381 total engine hours.
Meteorological Information
The 1235 recorded weather observation at HWY included: wind 260° at 5 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 15°C, dew point 5°C; altimeter setting 29.96 inches of mercury. A review of temperature and dew point on an FAA Carburetor Icing Probability Chart indicated the potential for carburetor icing at glide engine power settings.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was examined at the accident site; all major components were accounted for. The wreckage path in the wooded area was oriented on a heading of 254° true and was 40 feet in length. Flight control continuity was established from controls to all surfaces; aileron control continuity was through push-pull tube rod end fractures with tensile overload features. Fuel system continuity was confirmed from the fuel tank through an unobstructed fuel filter to the carburetor bowl. Fuel samples from the filter, carburetor bowl, and fuel tank tested negative for water. The 10-gallon fuel tank contained about 7 gallons of blue fluid similar in color to 100LL aviation fuel.
The engine remained attached to its mounts, but the left-side mount support structure was fractured. The engine was displaced left and rotated clockwise about 90 degrees (viewed from rear), impacting the inboard edge of the right flap. The wooden propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange; both blades were splintered, one about 1/3 span and the other about 1/2 span. The spinner was undamaged.
Engine crankshaft and valve train continuity was confirmed by hand rotation, with rocker arm movement on all valves. Thumb compression was confirmed for each cylinder. Spark plug electrodes exhibited normal wear (grey or brown, no excessive sooting). The engine was removed and each spark plug produced spark when tested with an inline tester while cranking with the starter motor. The engine was operated on-scene and ran continuously until fuel supply was shut off.
No pre-accident mechanical deficiencies were noted with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the accident.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Commonwealth of Virginia, determined the cause of death as "Blunt head, neck and trunk trauma." Toxicological testing at the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, basic, acidic, and neutral drugs except for fluconazole (detected in blood and urine) and metoprolol (detected in blood and urine). Fluconazole is used for treating fungal infections; metoprolol is a beta-blocker used for hypertension and certain arrhythmias.
Test and Research
In December 2014, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) imposed operating restrictions on airplanes powered by Jabiru engines due to a "high, and increasingly high rate of loss-of-power events and other engine reliability issues" observed in Australia. CASA identified several (but not all) failure modes contributing to these events. One known common failure mode involves one or more "sticking" or improperly functioning valves, which may occur intermittently, causing temporary engine power loss that may subsequently cease, allowing normal operation. A follow-up examination of the accident engine included removal of cylinder heads and disassembly of the valve train; no marks or signatures consistent with sticking or malfunctioning valves were present.
Additional Information
According to FAA-H-8023-25A, "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge," Chapter 4: "The stalling speed of an aircraft is also higher in a level turn than in straight-and-level flight. Centrifugal force is added to the aircraft's weight and the wing must produce sufficient additional lift to counterbalance the load imposed by the combination of centrifugal force and weight. In a turn, the necessary additional lift is acquired by applying back pressure to the elevator control. This increases the wing's AOA, and results in increased lift. The AOA must increase as the bank angle increases to counteract the increasing load caused by centrifugal force. If at any time during a turn the AOA becomes excessive, the aircraft stalls."