Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Please read this guys ... please watch your ball/airspeed on approach. Sadly this could have been avoided. I just talked to a local who knew the guy conducting the Flight Review. He was a big advocate of slipping and was apparently either demonstrating a slip or asking the PIC to demonstrate one.

Regardless, witnesses said the airplane was very high on approach, started a slip, entered a flat spin, pancaked into the ground, bounced and landed in the front yard. Sad Sad Sad.

NTSB Identification: CEN11FA431

14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation

Accident occurred Wednesday, June 29, 2011 in Howell, MI

Aircraft: Bosonetto Thorp T-18, registration: N8AL

Injuries: 2 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On June 29, 2011, at 1915 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Bosonetto model Thorp T-18, N8AL, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain and a house while maneuvering to land at the Livingston County Airport near Howell, Michigan. The pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The instructional flight originated at an unknown time from Canton-Plymouth-Mettetal Airport near Plymouth, Michigan.

The purpose of the accident flight was for the pilot to obtain a flight review. A witness to the accident reported seeing the airplane in the traffic pattern for runway 31. He reported that after the airplane had turned onto the final approach it was higher than the typical glide-path for the runway and appeared to be traveling at a slow airspeed in a forward-slip maneuver. The witness stated that while the airplane was in a side-slip, losing altitude, it suddenly entered a spin to the right and descended out of his view. The airplane subsequently impacted a residential front yard and house.

_________________
Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

Not having done a slip in this A/C, is it possible to blank the pitot/static system during a slip and give possible erroneous airspeed indications ? My pitot tube is on the left wing and static port on the left side of the fuseluge.

RB

My condolences to the family

I wonder though.... did this a/c have stall strips? Would that have given sufficient warning of an impending stall?

It was just brought to my attention that my posting may read as if to imply not to slip the thorp. That is not the case, the slab sided beast slips like a brick, I was only mentioning the ball/airspeed as to avoid another stall/spin, which in the end was the cause here.

Stay safe folks!!

_________________
Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

look at the pictures in the photo album of Patrick's plane. It did have stall strips.