- Date
- September 24, 1990, 17:38 local (Sep 25, 1990, 00:38 UTC)
- Place
- Claremont, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N9JEELY Thorp T-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 2, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900924042199A
- Case key
- 26539
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
A loss of control for undetermined reason(s).
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
Ground witnesses observed the aircraft in a spin, and then collide with the terrain. They did not hear the engine or unusual noises. Examination of the aircraft structure, flight controls, and engine revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical difficulty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9JE
- Reported as
- ELY Thorp T-18
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 892
- Airframe hours
- 221
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James E. Duval
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 1990 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- POC · La Verne, 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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 362 total · 320 in this make and model · 313 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- POC, 5 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.