Amateur-built Titan Tornado accident near Brooks, Oregon, December 2, 2003
On December 2, 2003 at about 11:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Titan Tornado, registered N183T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brooks, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering due to a hypoglycemic condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 2003 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Brooks, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Titan Tornado
- Registration
- N183T · registry record · serial T93277SOHK0065
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Three witnesses said they observed the aircraft flying overhead and hearing a problem with the engine, as if it were cutting in and out. Two additional witnesses reported hearing the engine open all the way and at full throttle before seeing it nose dive into a set of power lines, subsequently impacting the ground. A sixth witness said he observed the airplane flying low with the engine having a low pitch sound before flying overhead and pitching to the right into a dive. A seventh witness observed the aircraft flying between 500 and 600 feet above ground level before observing it rise to an extremely high [pitch] angle, rolling over on its back, and plunging to the ground after hitting power lines. The aircraft came to rest on its left side with its wings and fuselage twisted. There was no post crash fire. A post-accident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no anomalies which would have prevented normal operations. It was confirmed by a family member that at the time of the accident the uncertificated pilot took two types of insulin daily and was taking five prescription medications for various medical conditions. Medical records indicate the pilot had a history of coronary heart disease, having undergone quintuple heart bypass surgery in 1999. The pilot was also diabetic, having been insulin dependant since 1977. Post-accident toxicology testing revealed the presence of multiple medications, including two prescription antidepressants detected in the blood and liver, and one over-the-counter antihistamine medication detected in the blood and liver. As recently as 5 weeks prior to the accident, medical records indicate the pilot suffered from memory lapses and dangerously low blood sugar.
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
- Flight time: 203 hours in all; 37 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 550 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth 2702 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Salem OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,786 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from SLE, 8 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA04LA024.