Amateur-built TITAN TORNADO accident near East Moriches, New York, April 9, 1993
On April 9, 1993 at about 9:00 pm local time, a amateur-built TITAN TORNADO, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Moriches, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 1993 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- East Moriches, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built TITAN TORNADO TITAN TORN
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED FROM THE AIRPORT IN HIS UNREGISTERED, SINGLE SEAT, HOME BUILT AIRPLANE. HIS DAUGHTER WAS SEATED ON HIS LAP, BETWEEN HIS BODY AND THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT, AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE ATTEMPTED A LANDING ON A DIRT ROAD IN A NEARBY TREE NURSERY AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. THE STUDENT CONSIDERED THIS AN ULTRALIGHT, BUT HE ESTIMATED IT HAD A SPEED OF 95 TO 100 MPH, ITS EMPTY WEIGHT WAS ABOUT 300 LBS, AND ITS 10 GAL FUEL TANK HAD ABOUT 8 GAL OF FUEL REMAINING. THERE WERE NO RECORDS FOR THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PILOT OWNER COULD NOT SUPPLY A LIST OF INSTALLED COMPONENTS TO COMPUTE ITS EMPTY WEIGHT.
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: student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000; 6 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.