20001004017259A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Holt Leroy THORP T-18C · Grand Falls, TX · October 4, 2000

Date: October 4, 2000 · 14:08 local
Place: Grand Falls, TX
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N85LH
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW01LA005
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2

N85LHRegistration cancelled Apr 19, 2001 · Holt Leroy THORP T-18CS/N 216 Airframe modelHolt Leroy THORP T-18C

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The pilot, Mr. Ramsey, departed monahans airport (eoi) with one passenger aboard the aircraft. The flight was performed for the purpose of aerial photography in the local area of Grand Falls, TX. During cruise flight the a/c experienced an in-flight breakup. Investigation revealed the number two propellor blade separated 10 3/4 inches from the blade root. Following separation of the propellor blade, a/c control was lost and the a/c crashed and burned. Neither of the occupants survived the crash impact and resulting fire.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT, MR. RAMSEY, DEPARTED MONAHANS AIRPORT (EOI) WITH ONE PASSENGER ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT. THE FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED FOR THE PURPOSE OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE LOCAL AREA OF GRAND FALLS, TX. DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE A/C EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE NUMBER TWO PROPELLOR BLADE SEPARATED 10 3/4 INCHES FROM THE BLADE ROOT. FOLLOWING SEPARATION OF THE PROPELLOR BLADE, A/C CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE A/C CRASHED AND BURNED. NEITHER OF THE OCCUPANTS SURVIVED THE CRASH IMPACT AND RESULTING FIRE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW01LA005Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportImperial, TXthe failure of the propeller blade due to fatigue, which originated from a corrosion crack. A contributory factor was the pilot/owner's failure to ensure that the propeller was overhauled at the manufacturer's recommended interval.Oct 4, 2000 · Destroyed