N31311Titan Aircraft TORNADO · 2007

On April 30, 2023, about 1700 central daylight time, a Titan Tornado experimental light-sport airplane, N31311, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Lewisville, Arkansas. The non-certificated pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The private airstrip owner reported that the accident pilot and two other airplanes arrived earlier that day.

According to witnesses, the surface winds had increased during the day, and the winds were gusty when the three pilots elected to depart. The airstrip owner noted that the winds were gusty enough that he would not have operated his personal airplane from his airstrip at the time. The airstrip owner reported that the accident pilot told him he intended to perform a steep climbing takeoff on departure to demonstrate the airplane’s climb performance.

The airstrip owner observed the airplane take off, then enter a steep initial climb and left turn over wooded terrain before he lost sight of the airplane due to the terrain.

A witness, located at her residence near the departure end of the runway, reported that the first two airplanes appeared to depart normally before the accident airplane’s departure. During the accident airplane’s departure, the witness thought the airplane would impact a tree in her yard when it banked to the left at a low altitude, but the airplane impacted trees southeast of her residence (See Figure 1).

Figure 1. Accident site overview.

The main wreckage was located in a flat, wooded marsh south of the private airstrip. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The right wing separated from the fuselage when it impacted a tree about 80 ft from where the main wreckage came to rest on its right side. The left wing remained partially attached to the fuselage.

Flight control continuity could not be established due to impact-related damage; however, all separations were consistent with overstress separation. An odor consistent with automotive fuel was present in the debris field. The 3-blade composite propeller exhibited impact-related damage; two blades were broken with their blade roots still within the propeller hub.

The engine exhibited mechanical continuity of the drivetrain and valvetrain components when the propeller was rotated by hand. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

An electronic flight information system device (EFIS) and digital engine monitor were retained for further examination. Subsequent examination showed that no data was recorded by the EFIS; the engine monitor was damaged, prohibiting any data recovery.

An autopsy was performed by the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, Little Rock, Arkansas, which listed the cause of death as “multiple blunt force injuries,” and the manner of death was accident.

Toxicology testing performed at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified ethanol at 0.02 g/dL in the pilot’s cavity blood. Ethanol was not detected in the pilot’s urine or vitreous. N-propanol was also detected at a low level in cavity blood and was not detected in urine or vitreous fluid. Dextromethorphan was detected in urine; testing was inconclusive for dextromethorphan in cavity blood. Dextrorphan was detected in cavity blood; testing was inconclusive for dextrorphan in urine. Metformin was detected in cavity blood and urine. Amlodipine, lisinopril, and hydrochlorothiazide were detected in cavity blood and urine, and chlorothiazide was detected in urine but not in cavity blood. Acetaminophen was detected in cavity blood and urine. Salicylic acid was detected in urine but not in cavity blood.

Ethanol is the intoxicating alcohol in beer, wine, and liquor, and, if consumed, can impair judgment, psychomotor performance, cognition, and vigilance. FAA regulation imposes strict limits on flying after consuming ethanol, including a prohibition on piloting a civil aircraft while having a blood ethanol level of 0.04 g/dL or greater. Alcohol consumption is not the only possible source of ethanol in postmortem specimens. Ethanol can sometimes be produced by microbes in a person’s body after death. Ethanol may also be an additive in some automotive fuels.

Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant medication that is available over the counter in a variety of cold and allergy products. Dextromethorphan is not typically impairing at levels associated with medicinal use. The FAA states that pilots who use dextromethorphan should observe a waiting period for the drug to be cleared from circulation before flying. Dextrorphan is an active metabolite of dextromethorphan.

Metformin is a prescription oral medication commonly used for blood sugar control in diabetes and prediabetes. Amlodipine, lisinopril, and hydrochlorothiazide are prescription medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure. Chlorothiazide may be present as an impurity in hydrochlorothiazide and is also a prescription diuretic medication. Acetaminophen is a medication available in a wide variety of over-the-counter products as a pain and fever reducer. Salicylic acid is the primary active metabolite of aspirin, a widely available over-the-counter medication that can be used to control pain and fever and to reduce cardiovascular risk. Metformin, amlodipine, lisinopril, hydrochlorothiazide, chlorothiazide, acetaminophen, and salicylic acid/aspirin are not generally considered impairing.

Glucose was measured at 88 mg/dL in urine and was not detected in vitreous.