Pilot Debrief

PIPER TITAN TORNADO II D near Ravenna, OH — 2017-12-03

Final reportCEN18FA045
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Date
2017-12-03
Location
Ravenna, OH, USA
Airport
POV
Aircraft
PIPER TITAN TORNADO II D
Registration
N2200T
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed following a loss of engine power during final approach for landing, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

The sport pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane was returning to the airport after a 30-minute flight. A witness saw the airplane on final approach to the runway about 500 ft above ground level when he heard a total loss of engine power. The airplane banked left and right and entered a nose-down descent consistent with an aerodynamic stall condition. The airplane impacted terrain short of the runway. Although the witness, an acquaintance of the accident pilot, estimated that the pilot had accrued about 10 hours of flight time in the airplane since purchasing it about 1 year prior, the pilot's logbook was not located during the investigation, and his experience level in the accident airplane could not be determined. Additionally, it could not be determined if the pilot had obtained transition training in the accident airplane, which was classified as a low-inertia/high-drag airplane. Low-inertia/high-drag airplanes rapidly lose energy (airspeed and/or altitude) when there is a loss or reduction of power, and are particularly susceptible to unintentional aerodynamic stalls due to their low cruise speed to stall speed margin and their tendency to experience significant airspeed decay with increased load factor (such as during a turn). Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation; therefore, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined. It is likely that the pilot failed to attain a proper airspeed following the loss of engine power, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, an aerodynamic stall, and impact with terrain.

NTSB coding

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