Toland S/Thornburgh J TWIN 503SL N426MT

Summary

On 27 February 2009 at about 05:00 local time, a Toland S/Thornburgh J TWIN 503SL registered N426MT was involved in an accident near Torrance, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 February 2009 at 05:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Torrance, California, United States

Nearest airport

Zamperini Field Airport (TOA)

Coordinates

33.8033, -118.3394

Aircraft

Toland S/Thornburgh J TWIN 503SL

Registration

N426MT

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Torrance → Torrance

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR09LA130

1 person died.

The passenger’s inadvertent activation of the engine throttle.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The owner/pilot said that the pilot-rated passenger, who was seated in the front seat, had been shown the function of the steering bar, the pedals, the brake, and the throttle. After engine start and while performing the pre-taxi checklist, the steering control bar was tied to the glider's frame tube with a bungee cord. The pilot performed a brake check from the rear seat and then asked the passenger to perform the brake check from the front seat. The glider foot controls are similar to airplane controls, except when the top of the left pedal is depressed it activates the nosewheel brake. When the top of the right pedal is depressed it activates the throttle instead of activating the brake. After the pilot asked the passenger to perform the brake check, the glider engine accelerated to full power and the glider became airborne. Because the control bar was tied to the main frame of the glider the pilot was unable to attain control before the glider stalled. The owner/pilot indicated that the glider did not have a mechanical malfunction or failure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.