William J. Knowles KNOWLES-THORP KT-18 accident near Opa-Locka, FL
On September 30, 2000, a William J. Knowles KNOWLES-THORP KT-18 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Opa-Locka, FL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 30, 2000
- Place
- Opa-Locka, FL
- Aircraft
- William J. Knowles KNOWLES-THORP KT-18 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 25.910°N, 80.269°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X21912
NTSB summary
On September 30, 2000, at 1548 eastern daylight time, a William J. Knowles Knowles-Thorp KT-18 experimental airplane, N37BK, was destroyed when it collided with the ground during initial climb following takeoff from Opa-Locka Airport in Opa-Locka, Florida. The private pilot-in-command and airline transport pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) radio transcripts, the pilot requested a received permission to depart on runway 9L at Opa-Locka Airport. A witness located on the airport stated that he observed the airplane "climbing steeply" in a 15-degree climb immediately after lifting off from runway 9L. Another witness stated that he observed the airplane "banking steeply side to side." According to the first witness, when the airplane reached approximately 200 feet agl (above ground level), it banked left and spun 360 degrees to the left, then impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude. Both witnesses stated that they did not hear any "unusual" engine sounds prior to the airplane's impact with the ground. The airplane came to rest approximately 1,000 feet north of the midfield point of runway 9L just north of a canal that runs parallel to runway 9L/27R. A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the propeller assembly was separated from the engine at the propeller flange. One blade exhibited torsional ben
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain flying airspeed during initial climb, resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin.
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Browse: Florida
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
