Titan TITAN TORNADO II accident near Marble Canyon, Arizona, October 18, 2019
On October 18, 2019 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2001 Titan TITAN TORNADO II, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N49PD, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Marble Canyon, Arizona (Marble Canyon airport). 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with sand hummocks.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2019 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Marble Canyon, Arizona · Marble Canyon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Titan TITAN TORNADO II Undesignat, built 2001, amateur-built
- Registration
- N49PD · no longer on the register · serial D98912SOHK0310
- 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, during the takeoff roll, a "gust came up," and the airplane exited the runway to the right onto sand hummocks, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 694.7 hours in all; 480.7 in this make and model; 13.6 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 598 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 9, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 620 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 22, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 730 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L41 Marble Canyon AZ
- Destination: PGA Page AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,715 ft by 35 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point -9°F (-23°C)
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KPGA, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 24, 2020. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | 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.