Holt THORPE T-18C N85LH
4 October 2000 · Imperial, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 4 October 2000 at about 19:00 local time, a Holt THORPE T-18C registered N85LH was involved in an accident near Imperial, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Imperial, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 31.2709, -102.6895
- Aircraft
- Holt THORPE T-18C
- Registration
- N85LH
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Monahans → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW01LA005
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the failure of the propeller blade due to fatigue, which originated from a corrosion crack. A contributory factor was the pilot/owner's failure to ensure that the propeller was overhauled at the manufacturer's recommended interval.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to witnesses, the amateur-built experimental airplane was in cruise flight between 1,500 and 2,500 feet agl, when they heard a loud noise and observed pieces of the airplane separate from the airframe. Subsequently, the airplane entered a descent and impacted the ground. A fire erupted and consumed the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed that a propeller blade separated 14.5 inches from the butt end. The blade failed due to fatigue initiating from an intergranular corrosion crack. According to the manufacturer's recommended interval between overhauls, the blade was four years overdue for an overhaul. An overhaul could have detected the corrosion crack that led to the failure. Additionally, each blade had been shortened approximately 6 inches since it was originally manufactured, and the propeller was not approved by the manufacturer for installation on the type of engine in the airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 2000 | Schweizer G-164B | Moscow, Texas, United States | Paynes Flying Service, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 May 2000 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Garwood, Texas, United States | Michael Thompson | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 2000 | Mooney M20F | Tomball, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2000 | Piper PA-32R-301 | Rocksprings, Texas, United States | Ivan B. Greenhut | No injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 2000 | Cessna 185F | Burnet, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2000 | Piper PA-18 | New Ulm, Texas, United States | Leonard F. Firth | Minor injuries | - |