Thorp T-18 N3124

Summary

On 5 March 1983 at about 20:00 local time, a Thorp T-18 registered N3124, operated by Eric J. Shaw & Associates, was involved in an accident near Simi, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

5 March 1983 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Simi, California, United States

Coordinates

40.3701, -121.6105

Aircraft

Thorp T-18

Registration

N3124

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Eric J. Shaw & Associates

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Van Nuys → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Not Reported

NTSB number

LAX83FA124

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT CRASHED IN A SCHOOL PLAYGROUND IN A STEEP UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED IN A 60 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL AND THIS CONTINUED UNTIL GROUND IMPACT. THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING HIGH POWER AT THIS TIME. NO WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT BEFORE THE DIVE. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE COCKPIT CONTROL STICK HAD FAILED AND THE AILERON AND STABILATOR CROSS-BAR RIGHT MOUNTING POST TUBE WELDED AREA FAILED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. A PRE-EXISTING CRACK HAD EXISTED FOR SOME TIME ON THE CROSS-BAR TUBE WHEN THIS TUBE FAILED THE FLT CONTROLS JAMMED WHICH PREVENTED THE PLT FROM CONTROLLING THE ACFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.