Reay TITAN TORNADO II N122AR

Summary

On 17 June 2005 at about 18:00 local time, a Reay TITAN TORNADO II registered N122AR was involved in an accident near Winsted, Minnesota, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 June 2005 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Winsted, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

44.9497, -94.0667

Aircraft

Reay TITAN TORNADO II

Registration

N122AR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Winsted → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05LA148

1 person died.

The pilot performed an unauthorized aerobatic loop and failed to maintain control of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The amateur-built airplane was destroyed when it impacted the terrain in a marshy area while maneuvering. A witness reported that he observed the airplane doing an aerobatic loop. He reported that when the airplane got to the bottom arc of the loop, the engine "sputtered or coughed a couple of times," and then it regained power and sounded normal. He reported, "The airplane leveled off a short distance and then went into a straight nosedive. The engine sounded like it was full throttle." A second witness reported that he heard the engine "really laboring ... and could tell [the pilot] was climbing like a son of a gun and going for altitude. But when I looked up he was headed straight down ... ." He reported, "He was pulling back hard and recovered to level flight - or nearly level - but just for a moment." He reported, "When he pulled out he must have been pulling some really high g's to pull out at that speed." The inspection of the flight control system did not reveal any evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction. The inspection of the engine revealed no deficiencies that would have precluded normal engine operation. Aerobatic flight maneuvers were prohibited in the airplane's Experimental Amateur-built Aircraft Operating Limitations issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.