- Date
- August 15, 1998, 14:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Rantoul, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N60LWWhetzel Thorpe T-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 2, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980815029889A
- Case key
- 45863
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 not maintaining directional control. Factors were crops and encounter with unsuitable terrain.
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 pilot stated that during rollout after landing the airplane drifted to the side of the runway. He attempted to abort the landing; however, he lost control when the airplane exited the runway into a crop field and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On August 15, 1998, at 1455 central daylight time, a Whetzel Thorpe T-18 (amateur built airplane), N60LW, sustained substantial damage when it exited runway 27 (5,000' X 75' dry/asphalt), and nosed over, near Rantoul, Illinois. The pilot said that he lost directional control. The pilot reported minor injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Vernon, Ohio about 1400.
In his written statement the pilot said that during rollout, the airplane drifted to the left edge of the runway. He said that he applied full throttle attempting to abort the landing; however, he was unable to control the airplane as it exited the runway into a crop field and nosed over.
The airplane was examined after the accident and no pre-accident anomalies were found. The flight controls revealed continuity and the brakes operated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60LW
- Reported as
- Whetzel Thorpe T-18 (THORPE T-1)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1109
- Airframe hours
- 510
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lawrence C. Whetzel Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 6G4 · Vernon, OH
- Destination
- 2I5
- Airport
- 2I5 · Frank Elliott Field, runway 27, 5,000 × 75 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
- 67
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,032 total · 500 in this make and model · 946 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 2I5
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 N60LW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.