Titan Aircraft TORNADO accident near Richland, New York, July 2, 1996
On July 2, 1996 at about 11:07 am local time, a Titan Aircraft TORNADO, registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near Richland, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the student pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, during an apparent go-around, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with the terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's lack of certification, and inadequate certification/approval of the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1996 · about 11:07 am local time
- Place
- Richland, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Titan Aircraft TORNADO
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial T924470HK001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The unregistered Titan Tornado, flown by a student pilot/co-owner, was observed on an approach to a private grass strip. A witness reported that as the airplane crossed over a hedge row, the nosed pitched up, and the airplane began to climb. At about 150 feet, the nose of the airplane dropped, and the airplane descended and struck the ground at a 45 degree nose down angle. The airplane had been assembled and flown for about 80 hours by Titan Aircraft, before it was purchased by the pilot as an ultralight with a 10 gallon fuel tank and without an airworthiness certificate. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact failure of the airframe or engine. No maintenance records were available for the airplane. The student pilot had received his student pilot certificate in October 1994, and had received about 10 hours of dual instruction. He did not solo, and no record of recent flight experience was available. A purchase agreement revealed that the airplane had been sold as a 'single place, ready to fly, used aircraft as is.'
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: 10 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 100 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1NY3 NY at 10:30 am
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.