- Date
- September 1, 1994, 21:00 local (Sep 2, 1994, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kenosha, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2911Thalman Thorp T-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940901034039A
- Case key
- 9663
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 use carburetor heat in carburetor icing conditions. A factor associated with the accident is the prevailing carburetor icing conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The amateur built airplane lost engine power shortly after liftoff. The pilot was able to land the airplane on the last 400' feet of runway, but was unable to stop the airplane before it ran off the end and nosed-over. Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe discovered no preimpact anomalies. The engine was started and accelerated to a static RPM of 2200 with no observed deficiencies. Fifteen minutes prior to the accident, a weather reporting station 13 miles south of the accident site recorded a temperature of 50 degrees f., and a dewpoint of 47 degrees f. this temperature/dewpoint combination falls in the serious icing category on a carburetor icing probability chart. The pilot reported he did not have time to attempt an engine restart or to use the carburetor heat control after the engine lost power.
Factual narrative
On September 1, 1994, about 2100 central daylight time, a Bernard J. Thalman, Jr., experimental Thorp T-18 airplane, N2911, received substantial damage following a loss of engine power during takeoff from runway 6R at the Kenosha Regional airport, Kenosha, Wisconsin. The solo private pilot was not injured. The local, 14 CFR Part 91 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan.
The pilot reported a complete loss of engine power when the airplane reached approximately 100' AGL. He said in a telephone interview on October 26, that he did not have time to use the carburetor heat, or to attempt an engine restart. He said he was able to land the airplane on the last 400' of the runway, but was unable to stop the airplane before it ran off the end of the runway and nosed-over.
A postaccident examination of the engine, fuel system, carburetor heat control, and airframe, disclosed no preimpact mechanical anomalies. The engine was started and accelerated to a static RPM of 2200 with no observed deficiencies.
A weather observation taken fifteen minutes prior to the accident at the Waukeegan, Illinois, airport (approximately 13 miles south of the accident site), recorded a temperature of 50 degrees F., and a dewpoint of 47 degrees F. The attached Carburetor Icing Probability chart places this temperature/dewpoint combination in the serious icing range.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2911
- Reported as
- Thalman Thorp T-18
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 86
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bernard J. Thalman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 29, 1993
- Airport
- ENW · Kenosha, runway 6R, 4,000 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 950 total · 650 in this make and model · 950 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- UGN, 13 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2911 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.