# NTSB CEN18LA102: Scheineman-Van Buren T 18, N89ER, Longmont, CO, February 16, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 16, 2018, 13:20 local (20:20 UTC) - Place: Longmont, CO - Coordinates: 40.164443, -105.163612 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1644&lon=-105.1636&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious - Status: Completed, report November 6, 2019 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 96754 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN18LA102 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96754/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96754 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA102 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a groundloop and nose over. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Scheineman-Van Buren T-18, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=8951018), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Scheineman-Van Buren T-18, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=8951018), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Scheineman-Van Buren T-18, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=8951018), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Scheineman-Van Buren T-18, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=8951018), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Scheineman-Van Buren T-18, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=8951018), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis The tailwheel-qualified private pilot was conducting his first flight in the T-18 airplane with a flight instructor. After several local flight maneuvers and about seven uneventful landings, he planned to execute a full-stop landing. During the landing roll, the airplane turned right as it decelerated. The pilot attempted to correct the turn with left rudder control and braking, but the airplane groundlooped, departed the runway surface, and nosed over, which resulted in damage to the left wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot was unsure if he had applied any braking pressure during the landing before having directional control issues. The flight instructor did not recall the accident sequence due to his injuries. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures, except for a fractured rudder cable. Examination of the cable revealed an overstress separation, which was consistent with accident damage. Thus, the pilot likely failed to maintain directional control during the landing roll and the flight instructor did not take timely remedial action to maintain runway heading. ## Factual narrative On February 16, 2018, about 1320 mountain standard time, a Scheineman-Van Buren T-18 airplane, N89ER, was substantially damaged while landing at Vance Brand Airport (LMO), Longmont, Colorado. The pilot and flight instructor were seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a training flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which departed without a flight plan about 1220. The purpose of the flight was to orient the pilot to the airplane, which he had recently purchased. The pilot had flown about 200 hours in other tailwheel airplanes. After the pilot and flight instructor departed LMO, the pilot flew several local flight maneuvers, including slow flight, stalls, and steep turns. Returning to LMO, the pilot executed about uneventful seven landings. During the last landing, planned as a full stop, the airplane turned to the right as it decelerated below about 40 knots. The pilot attempted to correct the turn by applying left rudder control and with braking, but the airplane ground looped, departed the runway surface, and nosed over, damaging the left wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot was unsure if he had applied any braking during the landing prior to having directional control issues. The flight instructor did not recall the last landing due to his injuries. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no anomalies, except for a fractured rudder cable. No wear or chaffing marks were observed on the rudder cable, and no anomalies were noted with the installation. The rudder cable specifications matched the airplane build instructions. The National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory examined the rudder cable with a 5x to 50x magnification stereo microscope and determined that fracture surfaces were consistent with an overstress separation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N89ER](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N89ER-2021-01-28), registration cancelled 2021-01-28, S/N 1106, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: SCHEINEMAN-VAN BUREN T 18 (UNDESIGNAT) - Registry model: [Scheineman-Van Buren T-18](https://openairdocs.org/model/scheineman-van-buren-t-18) (registry code 8951018) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1106 - Year built: 1978 - Airframe hours: 1634 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-B3B 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, July 3, 2017 - Departed: LMO, Longmont, CO - Destination: LMO, Longmont, CO - Airport: LMO, Vance Brand, runway 29, 4,799 × 75 ft, concrete - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 28; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 360 total, 1 in this make and model - Flight instructor; age 81; injuries: serious; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review November 18, 2016; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 15,000 total, 500 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 80° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 41 °F, dew point 18 °F - Altimeter: 29.98 inHg - Observed at: KLMO ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20180216005219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180216005219A), Feb 16, 2018: Scheineman-Van Buren T-18, Longmont, CO, Substantial damage. On February 16, 2018, about 1320 mountain standard time, a Scheineman-Van Buren T-18 airplane, N89ER, was substantially damaged while landing at Vance Brand… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96754. 4.1 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40473572&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Interview with Pilot (item 2, .PDF, 63 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40473573&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Interview%20with%20Pilot-Master.PDF - NTSB Materials Lab Factual Report (item 3, .PDF, 367 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40473574&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Materials%20Lab%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.