Bosonetto THORP T-18 accident near Howell, MI

On June 29, 2011, a Bosonetto THORP T-18 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Howell, MI. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

June 29, 2011

Place

Howell, MI

Aircraft

Bosonetto THORP T-18 · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

42.624°N, 83.969°W

NTSB ID

20110629X23512

Official records · CEN11FA431

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 29, 2011, at 1915 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Bosonetto model Thorp T-18, N8AL, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain and a house while maneuvering to land at the Livingston County Airport (OZW) near Howell, Michigan. The pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight, which originated at an unknown time from Canton-Plymouth-Mettetal Airport (1D2) near Plymouth, Michigan. The purpose of the accident flight was for the pilot to obtain a flight review. A witness to the accident, who was located in his airplane near the departure end of runway 31, reported seeing the airplane in the traffic pattern for runway 31. He stated that after the airplane had turned onto the final approach it was higher than the normal glide-path to the runway and appeared to be traveling at a slow airspeed while in a forward-slip maneuver. (A forward slip is a flight maneuver used to increase the descent rate, while maintaining airplane pitch and airspeed.) The witness stated that while the airplane was in the forward-slip, losing altitude, it suddenly entered a spin to the right and descended out of his view. Another witness, who was inside his residence located along the final approach path, reported that he saw the airplane yawing side-to-side as it approached runway 31. He stated that he heard the airplane en

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control and airspeed during final approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin at a low altitude.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.