Thorp T-18 N85JJ

Summary

On 31 July 1986 at about 18:45 local time, a Thorp T-18 registered N85JJ was involved in an accident near Rawlins, Wyoming, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

31 July 1986 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Rawlins, Wyoming, United States

Nearest airport

Rawlins Mun (RWL)

Coordinates

41.7800, -107.2205

Aircraft

Thorp T-18

Registration

N85JJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wendover → Cheyenne

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN86FA213

2 people 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 ACCIDENT ACFT, A THORP T-18, WAS ONE OF FOUR ACFT (QUICKIE II, VARIEZE, LONGEZE) IN A LOOSE FORMATION THAT WAS EN ROUTE TO THE ANNUAL EAA CONVENTION AT OSHKOSH, WI. THE ACFT DEPARTED REDDING, CA, AT 0500 PDT, REFUELED AT WENDOVER, UT, AND DEPARTED THERE AT 1100 MDT. AT ABOUT 1230 MDT, WHILE IN CRUISE FLT AT 9500 FT MSL OVER I-80, ABOUT 5 MI WEST OF RAWLINS, WY, THE SPINNER ON THE QUICKIE II CAME LOOSE AND BROKE OFF A PROP BLADE. THE PLT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL DOWNWIND DEAD-STICK LANDING AT ROWLINS ARPT. THE OTHER ACFT CIRCLED OVERHEAD. THE THORP WAS LAST SEEN PULLING UP AND BANKING RIGHT. NONE OF THE PILOTS SAW THE THORP T-18 CRASH. TWO GROUND WITNESSES SAID THAT THE ACFT WAS EITHER 'WIG-WAGGING ITS WINGS' OR DOING AEROBATICS. THE PLT WAS SAID TO BE 'A RELATIVELY LOW TIME PLT' WITH ABOUT 40 HRS IN MAKE/MODEL. ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS SAID THAT THIS FLT WAS THE PLT'S 'FIRST REALLY LONG X-COUNTRY.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.