Amateur-built TITAN 51 MUSTANG accident near Evans, Colorado, March 21, 2014
On March 21, 2014 at about 1:35 pm local time, a 2008 amateur-built TITAN 51 MUSTANG, registered N43889, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Evans, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The builder's improper wiring of both fuel pumps to the battery-powered bus, which resulted in a total loss of engine power when the batteries failed because all power to the fuel pumps was lost.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 2014 · about 1:35 pm local time
- Place
- Evans, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built TITAN 51 MUSTANG NO SERIES, built 2008
- Registration
- N43889 · registry record · serial M02914SOHK0009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, about 15 minutes into the flight and 6 miles from his arrival airport, the airplane lost all engine and electrical power. The pilot established the best glide speed for the airplane, turned on the auxiliary fuel pump switch, and tried to extend the landing gear. When he realized that the electrically powered landing gear would not extend, he decided to land the airplane in a pasture next to a road. After touchdown, the airplane slid about 70 feet before coming to a stop. The pilot opened the canopy, turned off the fuel and all other switches, and exited the airplane. An examination of the airplane's electrical system showed that neither of the airplane's 12-volt batteries would hold a charge. The examination also showed that both the main and auxiliary fuel pumps were wired to the battery-powered bus. According to the engine manufacturer's service representative, if a battery power failure occurs, the engine would quit running if both fuel pumps were connected to the battery bus instead of one being connected to the internal engine generator. When the batteries failed, both fuel pumps ceased operating, and the engine failed.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Electrical system malf/failure during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Battery/charger › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel pump › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,900 hours in all; 360 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 25, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 356 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 10, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rotax 914 (piston); 356 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 18V Hudson CO at 1:15 pm
- Destination: GXY Greeley CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from GXY, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 8, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandums of Conversation | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 - Wreckage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.