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20040123000349A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr T18 · Compton, CA · January 23, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 23, 2004 · 09:59 local
Place
Compton, CA
Airport
Compton Airport
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N64EC
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX04LA106
Reported as
Amtr T18
Reported engine
Lycoming O320D2J
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N64ECRegistration cancelled May 26, 2004 · Cox Edwin THORP T-18S/N 1119 · Built 2001Airframe modelCox Edwin THORP T-18Engine modelLycoming O-320-D2JReciprocating

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) According to witnesses interviewed at the scene of the accident, the pilot of the T-18, N64EC was landing on runway 25 right when he had to maneuver to avoid hitting a helicopter, N29LB that was also landing on 25 right. While maneuvering, the T-18 became inverted and impacted the ground, fatally injuring the pilot. A flight instructor who was in the traffic pattern at the time of the accident stated that he heard the pilot of N64EC make a radio call indicating that he was landing on 25 right. He then heard a call from N29LB, which stated that they were 2 miles east of the airport on a straight in approach for 25 right. The flight instructor, attempting to warn both pilots, said "watch out guys" over the radio. The instructor witnessed the helicopter arrive over the runway first, and a few seconds later, saw T-18 turn right to avoid the helicopter, then "appeared to stall, invert and crash." He stated that both aircraft were about 100 feet apart and 8 feet above the runway when the accident occurred.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ACCORDING TO WITNESSES INTERVIEWED AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT OF THE T-18, N64EC WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 25 RIGHT WHEN HE HAD TO MANEUVER TO AVOID HITTING A HELICOPTER, N29LB THAT WAS ALSO LANDING ON 25 RIGHT. WHILE MANEUVERING, THE T-18 BECAME INVERTED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND, FATALLY INJURING THE PILOT. A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHO WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT HE HEARD THE PILOT OF N64EC MAKE A RADIO CALL INDICATING THAT HE WAS LANDING ON 25 RIGHT. HE THEN HEARD A CALL FROM N29LB, WHICH STATED THAT THEY WERE 2 MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT ON A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH FOR 25 RIGHT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, ATTEMPTING TO WARN BOTH PILOTS, SAID "WATCH OUT GUYS" OVER THE RADIO. THE INSTRUCTOR WITNESSED THE HELICOPTER ARRIVE OVER THE RUNWAY FIRST, AND A FEW SECONDS LATER, SAW T-18 TURN RIGHT TO AVOID THE HELICOPTER, THEN "APPEARED TO STALL, INVERT AND CRASH." HE STATED THAT BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE ABOUT 100 FEET APART AND 8 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.

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 LAX04LA106Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportCompton, CAboth pilots' failure to see and avoid one another that resulted in the airplane's encounter with downwash induced wake vortices from the helicopter, and the airplane pilot's subsequent loss of control.Jan 23, 2004 · Substantial damage