Finney Thorp T-18 accident near Willcox, AZ
On August 26, 2010, a Finney Thorp T-18 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Willcox, AZ. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 26, 2010
- Place
- Willcox, AZ
- Aircraft
- Finney Thorp T-18 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 32.246°N, 109.895°W
- NTSB ID
- 20100827X12748
Official records · WPR10LA429
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OR FLIGHT On August 26, 2010, about 0920 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built Finney Thorp, T-18, N467JF, descended into terrain following an in-flight loss of control while entering the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at the Cochise County Airport (P33) Willcox, Arizona. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the personal cross country flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from San Diego, California, at an undetermined time with an intended destination of P33. A witness, who was a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) that was flying in an airplane about 500 feet above the accident airplane, reported observing the airplane entering the traffic pattern while flying about 500 feet above ground level (agl). The airplane was observed entering a steep left turn to the downwind leg for runway 03 and subsequently entered a left descending spiral until it impacted the ground in a nose low attitude. Another witness, located at the airport, observed the accident airplane’s engine power up and the airplane initiate a left turn around midfield. Personnel monitoring the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) reported hearing an unintelligible distress radio transmission around the time of the accident. WRECKAGE DOCUMENTATION A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane at the a
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed during a steep turn and at a low altitude in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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Browse: Arizona
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
