Tomei S12 XL accident near Pleasant Grove, California, April 3, 2011
On April 3, 2011 at about 7:53 pm local time, a Tomei S12 XL, registered N8113N, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Pleasant Grove, California (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to allow the airplane’s engine to properly warm up before applying takeoff power, which resulted in the forward cylinder's piston seizing and a subsequent loss of engine power. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed after the loss of engine power, which resulted in a stall-spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 2011 · about 7:53 pm local time
- Place
- Pleasant Grove, California · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Tomei S12 XL
- Registration
- N8113N · no longer on the register · serial 07960735
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A pilot-rated witness said that the airplane was airborne within “a couple of minutes” after the engine was started and that, when the airplane reached an altitude of 200 to 300 feet above the ground during climb out, it appeared to slow. The witness said that the airplane then banked left and descended in a spiral until it impacted the ground. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed evidence of abnormal piston wear and cylinder damage, including mechanical scoring and vertical grooves along the forward cylinder walls and piston skirt. A representative of the engine manufacturer reported that the observed cylinder and piston damage was consistent with an in-flight cold seizure of the piston (a condition where the piston seizes within the cylinder). About 17 years before the accident, the engine manufacturer issued a Service Information Letter (SIL) that addressed the potential for such a piston seizure. The SIL stated in part “...Putting a cold engine to hard work without uniform and correct warm up will cause the piston to expand quicker than the cylinder, minimizing clearance and creating piston scuffing and seizure.” It is likely that the pilot did not allow enough time for the engine to warm up before taking off.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 165 hours in all; 165 in this make and model; 140 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 306 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 21, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,160 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Pleasant Grove CA at 7:53 pm
- Destination: PVT Pleasant Grove CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,300 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KSMF, 24 miles away
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.