Amateur-built Special accident near Tucson, Arizona, November 19, 2005
On November 19, 2005 at about 4:20 pm local time, a amateur-built Special, registered N660T, was destroyed in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (La Cholla Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's excessive use of power during takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent torque roll shortly after lift off. Also causal was the pilot's failure to abort the takeoff when directional control could not be maintained during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 2005 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · La Cholla Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Special
- Registration
- N660T · registry record · serial 1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane entered a torque roll to the left during the initial climb shortly after takeoff. Numerous pilot witnesses observed the composite airplane on takeoff roll when the airplane began to drift to the left of centerline. Some observed dust below the left wing from the left main landing gear tire rolling in the dirt. The airplane lifted off the ground in a nose high pitch attitude and rolled 90 degrees to the left in a knife-edge turn. The airplane then continued to an inverted position, descended at a 45-degree nose low pitch attitude, and impacted the ground. All of the witnesses indicated that the engine seemed to be at full power during the entire event. Measurements of tire marks on the runway and tire tracks in the dirt to the east of the runway, indicated that the pilot continued with the takeoff roll even though the airplane was well east of the runway centerline and even departed the runway surface to the east. According to the airplane kit manufacturer, takeoffs with more than 70 percent torque were not recommended until the airplane reached 100 knots indicated airspeed. The kit manufacturer added that if one were to takeoff with more than 70-percent torque, below 100 knots, there would not be enough rudder authority to offset the torque/p-factor of the 725-horsepower engine/propeller. There was no record in the FAA database of the airplane receiving an experimental airworthiness certificate nor was there an endorsement in the logbook indicating that the pilot/builder had flown the requisite 40 hours of test flights prior to carrying passengers. The airplane was destroyed by impact and fire damage. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident site reported finding no anomalies with the identifiable components that would have prevented normal flight.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 28,000 hours in all; 33 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 1, 2003; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Walter 601-D (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 57AZ Tucson AZ at 4:20 pm
- Destination: 18AZ Carefree AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 4,500 ft by 44 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.