Wittman W10 N625JS

Summary

On 15 April 2018 at about 15:30 local time, a Wittman W10 registered N625JS was involved in an accident near San Antonio, Texas, 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

15 April 2018 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

San Antonio, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.4133, -98.8150

Aircraft

Wittman W10

Registration

N625JS

Category

Airplane

Year built

1986

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Castroville → Pipe Creek

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18FA139

1 person died.

An in-flight fire and subsequent total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined due to extensive impact and fire damage, followed by a loss of airplane control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was conducting a personal flight in his amateur-built airplane to accumulate additional flight time on the overhauled engine. A witness reported that he initially saw the airplane flying about 1,500 ft above the ground with no noticeable engine issues; however, as the airplane flew past his position, the engine began "struggling" for about 10 seconds before power was lost. The witness stated that the airplane was on fire as it descended into terrain. Another witness reported seeing fire coming from the bottom of the airplane while it was inflight. He also stated that the airplane briefly pitched up before it suddenly banked and descended nose down into terrain. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and fire. A functional test of the engine and a comprehensive examination of the airplane's fuel system were not possible due to impact and fire damage. A partial teardown examination showed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation during the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.