Scheineman-van Buren T 18 N89ER

Summary

On 16 February 2018 at about 20:20 local time, a Scheineman-van Buren T 18 registered N89ER was involved in an accident near Longmont, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 February 2018 at 20:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Longmont, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Vance Brand (LMO)

Coordinates

40.1644, -105.1636

Aircraft

Scheineman-van Buren T 18

Registration

N89ER

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Longmont → Longmont

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA102

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a groundloop and nose over.  

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The tailwheel-qualified private pilot was conducting his first flight in the T-18 airplane with a flight instructor. After several local flight maneuvers and about seven uneventful landings, he planned to execute a full-stop landing. During the landing roll, the airplane turned right as it decelerated. The pilot attempted to correct the turn with left rudder control and braking, but the airplane groundlooped, departed the runway surface, and nosed over, which resulted in damage to the left wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot was unsure if he had applied any braking pressure during the landing before having directional control issues. The flight instructor did not recall the accident sequence due to his injuries. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures, except for a fractured rudder cable. Examination of the cable revealed an overstress separation, which was consistent with accident damage. Thus, the pilot likely failed to maintain directional control during the landing roll and the flight instructor did not take timely remedial action to maintain runway heading.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.