Bristol Titan Tornado II accident near Green River, Utah, July 30, 2008
On July 30, 2008 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Bristol Titan Tornado II, registered N25JT, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Green River, Utah. 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 encounter with rough terrain during an off-field precautionary landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2008 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Green River, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bristol Titan Tornado II
- Registration
- N25JT · no longer on the register · serial T98503COHKo293
- 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 3 weeks prior to the accident he had taken delivery of the newly purchased airplane, and he proceeded to receive approximately 10 hours of flight instruction in it. He intended to fly the airplane cross-country back to his home. While en route, an unlabeled red light illuminated on the instrument panel. He checked his Electronic Flight Information System (EFIS) panel and found nothing abnormal. Concerned that the light may indicate low oil pressure, the pilot performed a precautionary landing on to a narrow gravel path. During the landing, the airplane impacted a stone on the path and bounced off the steeply banked path into the sand below. The airplane then nosed over. According to the builder, the red light was part of the Electronic Flight Information System (EFIS). If a parameter monitored by the EFIS is outside of set limits, then the red light on the instrument panel will illuminate and the parameter that is out of limits will display on the EFIS screen. The parameters monitored by the EFIS are engine rpm, fuel quantity, exhaust gas temperature, oil temperature and pressure, and cylinder head temperature. Other items monitored by the EFIS are engine operating times, and scheduled maintenance information messages. The pilot did not report finding any anomalies with the airplane or engine.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Task environment › Physical workspace › Warnings/alarms › Decision related to condition
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Not specified
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 2200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCDQ Cedar City UT
- Destination: KU14 Nephi UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.