| Date: | Saturday 5 March 1983 |
| Time: | 12:00 |
| Type: | Thorp T-18 |
| Owner/operator: | private |
| Registration: | N3124 |
| MSN: | MC-68 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 506 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Simi, CA -
United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Van Nuys, CA (VNY) |
| Destination airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:THE ACFT CRASHED IN A SCHOOL PLAYGROUND IN A STEEP UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED IN A 60 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL AND THIS CONTINUED UNTIL GROUND IMPACT. THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING HIGH POWER AT THIS TIME. NO WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT BEFORE THE DIVE. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE COCKPIT CONTROL STICK HAD FAILED AND THE AILERON AND STABILATOR CROSS-BAR RIGHT MOUNTING POST TUBE WELDED AREA FAILED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. A PRE-EXISTING CRACK HAD EXISTED FOR SOME TIME ON THE CROSS-BAR TUBE WHEN THIS TUBE FAILED THE FLT CONTROLS JAMMED WHICH PREVENTED THE PLT FROM CONTROLLING THE ACFT. CAUSE:
Accident investigation:
|
|
| | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Report number: | LAX83FA124 |
| Status: | Investigation completed |
| Duration: | |
| Download report: | Final report
|
|
Sources:
NTSB:
https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001214X42458 Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 |
ASN archive |
Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 |
ASN Update Bot |
Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:

CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation