- Date
- July 11, 1986, 14:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Richland, WA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2056Thorp T-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860711032059A
- Case key
- 40289
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
At time of mishap, acft presumed to be in rt-hand approach to land in 20-KT, 40 degree rt crosswind. Witnesses first observed acft descending vertically, out of control, in an area consistent with the 90 degree approach position. Evidence indicates acft contacted soft, sandy terrain in vertical attitude, then fell over to upright flat attitude before intense post-impact fire incinerated most of airframe. No evidence found of mechanical failure/malfunction. Scenario indicative of steep turn to correct crosswind-induced close-in pattern.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2056
- Reported as
- Thorp T-18
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 474
- Airframe hours
- 650
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-GPO, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald A. Mccune
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 13, 1986 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- S21 · Sun River, OR
- Destination
- RLD · Richland, WA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- RLD · Richland, Wa
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 400 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PSC, 8 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.