Thorp T-18 N54WB
23 September 2011 · Plainwell, Michigan, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 23 September 2011 at about 12:53 local time, a Thorp T-18 registered N54WB was involved in an accident near Plainwell, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 12:53
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Plainwell, Michigan, United States
- Nearest airport
- Plainwell Municipal Airport (61D)
- Coordinates
- 42.4678, -85.6481
- Aircraft
- Thorp T-18
- Registration
- N54WB
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Holland → Plainwell
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN11FA663
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot did not maintain clearance from a semitrailer along the approach path.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The accident airplane was the second airplane in a flight of two airplanes on approach to the destination. The pilot in the first airplane stated that there were no radio transmissions by the accident pilot of any mechanical malfunctions and that the accident pilot asked him to keep up his speed on final. The visibility on approach was about 3 miles. A witness observed that the second airplane was close to the first airplane and that both airplanes were “quite” low on approach. He indicated that the accident airplane impacted a semitrailer and “flipped” into the ditch embankment west of the runway. A ground fire ensued when the airplane impacted terrain. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact anomalies.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Thorp T-18 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 2012 | Thorp T-18 | Gilmer, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 May 2008 | Thorp T-18 | Kent, Washington, United States | Roger Thompson | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Nov 2015 | Thorp T 18 | Independence, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Mar 1988 | Thorp T-18 | Advance, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 1987 | Thorp T-18 | Bowling Green, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Mar 1987 | Thorp T-18 | Riverside, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 2011 | Taylorcraft DCO-65 | Boyne City, Michigan, United States | Balogh Eugene W | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Aug 2011 | Aero Commander CALLAIR A-9B | Marshall, Michigan, United States | Marshall Soaring Club Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Jul 2011 | Degraw RHINO II | Jackson, Michigan, United States | Degraw Richard R Trustee | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 2011 | Piper PA-32-260 | St. Ignace, Michigan, United States | Great Lakes Air Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Oct 2011 | Brinkerhuff Gerald G Q200 | Holland, Michigan, United States | Brinkerhuff Gerald G | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Jul 2011 | Dixon VOLKSPLANE VP-1 | Jackson, Michigan, United States | Dixon Bartley M | Minor injuries | - |