NTSB Factual Report

On November 2, 2003, about 1555 Pacific standard time, an experimental Canadair T33, N99192, collided with terrain near Santa Clarita, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The personal local flight departed Van Nuys, California, at 1547. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 34 degrees 22 minutes north latitude and 118 degrees 30 minutes west longitude.

One witness was bicycling south on Sierra Highway. He heard a high wind noise, and then the airplane roared up really fast over him. It came southbound over his left shoulder about 200 feet above him. It continued south parallel to the Sierra Highway. As it came by parallel to him, he could see the bottom of the airplane. It was in almost a 90-degree bank to the left. It was not going down or diving. It was really loud like it had a wide open throttle. He stopped cycling. As the airplane went by, it continued to roll until the nose went low. He could see the whole airplane and it was symmetrical. It hit the ground about 4 to 6 seconds later. He lost sight of it just before impact due to stores and trees. There was silence just before impact; he heard no pops or booms. The terrain was level in the valley with hills to the left.

Another witness heard a jet that was low. He couldn't see it because trees were in the way. He heard popping like a couple of little booms. He thought that there was trouble with the power. The airplane went by a tree and the engine went back to sounding strong. He saw the airplane with one wing pointed toward the ground. As he looked toward the sky, he was looking at the bottom of the airplane. The airplane was symmetrical; he could see both wings and tip tanks. When it passed him, he was looking at the belly, and it was running good. It went over a hill, and was gone for a long while when he heard the crash and saw smoke.

A witness on Sierra Highway heard a loud engine noise, which got her attention. The airplane was very low, about 100 feet, and she ducked. She could see the pilot. It was coming from the other side of the highway at an angle. The left wing was straight up and down, and then the airplane turned upright. It went into a second left bank, but this time it went straight down. It seemed to spin, and she heard four big booms on the way down, which took 10-15 seconds. She saw the airplane for about 30 to 40 seconds. The engine was loud the whole time.

Other witnesses confirmed that the airplane turned and continued to roll to the left until the nose was pointing straight toward the ground. It maintained this vertical attitude until ground impact. Most of the witnesses said the loud whine of the engine drew their attention to the airplane. They all said the airplane was within several hundred feet of the ground. The engine was loud until impact. Some witnesses thought the engine sounded erratic for a short while, and then it sounded like it was operating again prior to the roll to vertical.

An experienced pilot in the T33 set up a training program for the accident pilot. It comprised a minimum of 8 to 10 flights. The syllabus included stalls, maximum performance maneuvers, aerobatics, approaches, and simulated flameouts. They had done spin training about 2 to 3 years ago. He said that the pilot was very conscientious. The pilot had restored the airplane; the cockpit was better than when the airplane was new. From doing his own maintenance, the accident pilot knew how everything worked. For their practice sessions, they would go to Mojave. It was about 30 minutes to the high desert practice area. The pilot would not always wear his G-suit, and they routinely practiced aerobatics. They would land at Mojave, refuel, and then return to Van Nuys.

Another pilot reported that he had flown with the accident pilot several times. He knew that the airplane had an annual inspection about a month ago. Their first flight was 1/2 hour. The accident pilot briefed the ejection system every time; this included how to eject, and pointing out the safety pins and the ejection handle. There was one for the canopy actuator, one to blow the canopy, and two for each seat. He did not unpin all six pins; he would pull the canopy pins, but not the seat pins. There was a pin on the floor on each side of the seat, and he normally left both seat pins in. The right side pin held the handle down. From talking to the pilot's wife, he knew that the pilot had called her to tell her that he was going flying near Mojave. He would do aerobatics, fly around, and come back.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) and an investigator from Roll-Royce examined the wreckage.

The airplane was highly fragmented, and the IIC could not establish control continuity.

The centrifugal compressor was dual stage. There was a double entry impeller and rotating guide vanes. The engine had a single stage turbine.

The engine sustained mechanical damage. The compressor exhibited mechanical damage. The forward side of the double entry impeller vanes bent opposite the direction of rotation. The forward steel rotating guide vanes bent in the direction opposite of rotation.

The turbine shaft remained connected, but exhibited torsional twisting forward of the toothed flange that protruded from the turbine disk. The turbine wheel blades bent opposite the direction of rotation. The turbine rotating nozzle guide vanes bent opposite the direction of rotation. The turbine wheel case was crushed; it housed the engine accessories.

The Rolls-Royce representative noted evidence of metal diffusion on the turbine blades and vanes. He stated that the shafting displayed continuity throughout the engine. He determined that the compressor impeller, turbine, and turbine shaft displayed evidence of rotation at impact.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain during low altitude maneuvers.