Beechcraft G18 VH-NWB

Summary

On 14 February 2012 at about 21:40 local time, a Beechcraft G18 registered VH-NWB was involved in an accident near Hollister, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 February 2012 at 21:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Hollister, California, United States

Nearest airport

Hollister Municipal Airport (CHV)

Coordinates

36.8933, -121.4103

Aircraft

Beechcraft G18

Registration

VH-NWB

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hollister → Hollister

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA104

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing, loss of directional control, and ground loop.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was preparing the airplane for a transpacific flight. The day before the accident, he conducted two test flights, and he noted that, during each flight, the oil temperature for the right engine was slightly higher than expected but that it remained within normal operating limitations. On the day of the accident, he decided to perform another test flight and brought a mechanic to assist with identifying any engine issues. The pilot reported that, just after liftoff, the airplane's right wing dropped, which he believed was due to a loss of right engine power. The pilot decided to reduce the left engine's power in an attempt to return the airplane to a wings-level attitude. The airplane then rolled left and pitched nose down. The airplane landed hard in a left-wing-low attitude, and the left main landing gear tire ruptured. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control of the airplane, which subsequently ground looped, departed the runway surface, and came to rest in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing tip and aileron. The mechanic-passenger reported that the pilot did not align the airplane with the runway centerline during the takeoff, and, as a result, when the tailwheel lifted, the airplane veered left. As the pilot attempted to realign the airplane with the runway centerline, the airplane became airborne in a left-wing-high configuration. The airplane lifted off and began to climb and then the nose and left wing dropped. The mechanic reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures to the right engine that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot, in attempting to maintain runway alignment and a wings-level attitude, failed to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.