- Date
- July 6, 2025, 10:56 local (15:56 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Elmo, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N18CHThorp T18
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250706010889A
- Case key
- 200507
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain obstacle clearance during the go-around, that resulted in the tailwheel impacting a taxiway sign, a subsequent loss of control due to the damaged tailwheel, and a runway excursion during the landing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
After the completion of the local area flight, the pilot maneuvered the airplane for the approach to the runway. The airplane was not oriented with the runway during approach, so the pilot applied full engine power to perform a go-around. During the go-around, the tailwheel impacted a taxiway sign, and the tailwheel sustained damage. The pilot completed the go-around and landed on the runway. During the landing, there was no tailwheel control due to the previous impact damage from the taxiway sign, and the airplane departed the runway to the right. The airplane came to rest upright on a grass field near the runway. The pilot was able to egress from the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and the underside of the empennage. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N18CH
- Reported as
- Thorp T18 (UNDESIGNATED SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CH374
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 1,400
- Engine
- Lycoming Engines O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 13, 2025 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- MY66 · Onamia, MN
- Destination
- 21D · Lake Elmo, MN
- Airport
- 21D · Lake Elmo, runway 14/32, 3,504 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 85
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 13, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,425 total · 375 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KSTP, 9 nm away
- METAR
- KSTP 061553Z 32007KT 10SM CLR 25/17 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP145 T02500167
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 5, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.