Crane THORP T-18 accident near San Diego, CA
On January 25, 1997, a Crane THORP T-18 (airplane) was involved in an accident near San Diego, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 25, 1997
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Aircraft
- Crane THORP T-18 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.551°N, 117.040°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07319
NTSB summary
On January 25, 1997, at 1038 hours Pacific standard time, an amateur built, experimental Crane Thorp T-18, N40918, lost engine power during the takeoff initial climb from runway 26R at Brown Field, San Diego, California, and impacted a commercial building during the ensuing off-airport forced landing. The aircraft was destroyed. The commercial pilot/flight instructor and private pilot dual student were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local area instructional flight originated at Brown Field on the morning of the accident and had completed two touch-and-go landings prior to the accident. According to acquaintances of the aircraft owner (the dual student) who were familiar with the accident aircraft, the engine had a history of power loss dating back several months prior to the accident flight. In a telephone conversation with the Safety Board, a pilot who had flown the accident aircraft between June and September, 1996, reported that he had experienced complete engine power loss on two occasions while flying the accident aircraft, and stopped flying it for that reason. The first instance occurred while he was performing calibration tests on a GPS system installed in the aircraft. While conducting maximum power, maximum rpm, level flight tests at 8,000 feet msl, with the fuel tank approximately 1/2 full, the engine suddenly quit. He stated that the "Engine obviously had fuel starvation at full power -- [it] had to do with fuel pressure." In response to the power loss he "Retarded power to 1/2 throttle and the engine restarted - it ran OK at 21
Probable cause
Installation by the pilot/owner of an unairworthy check valve in the fuel system of the amateur built aircraft, which resulted in inadequate fuel flow to the engine and subsequent engine failure. A factor in the accident was the owner's operation of the aircraft with known deficiencies.
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Browse: California
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
