- Date
- December 12, 1984, 16:00 local (Dec 13, 1984, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tulare, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3WBHart-Thorp T-18 Tiger
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841212043799A
- Case key
- 24440
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Acft departed arpt & about 5 mins later was seen 'descending vertically' out of 'dark rain cloud' at about 1,000 ft AGL. During attempted recovery at about 300 ft AGL, acft broke up & crashed in a field. Plt did not obtain wx briefing prior to flt and did not hold an instruement rating. Wx at time of departure was 1,000 ft overcast, visibility 2 in fog and rain, winds calm. Witnesses reported bases of clouds were moving se 'rapidly' at the time of the accident. Winds aloft at 3,000 ft were reported at 22 KTS. Cumulus clouds were reported in vicinity of accident site along with moderate or greater turbulence. Examination of acft revealed no pre-existing problems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3WB
- Reported as
- Hart-Thorp T-18 Tiger
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 279
- Airframe hours
- 2,029
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Arch H. Maxwell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- TLR · Tulare, CA
- Destination
- 085 · Redding, CA
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,263 total · 600 in this make and model · 3,215 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VIS, 10 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.