Amateur-built KNOWLES-THORP KT-18 accident near Opa-Locka, Florida, September 30, 2000
On September 30, 2000 at about 7:48 pm local time, a amateur-built KNOWLES-THORP KT-18, registered N37BK, was destroyed in an accident near Opa-Locka, Florida (Opa-Locka Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain flying airspeed during initial climb, resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2000 · about 7:48 pm local time
- Place
- Opa-Locka, Florida · Opa-Locka Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KNOWLES-THORP KT-18 KNOWLES-TH
- Registration
- N37BK · registry record · serial 807
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental airplane was observed by witnesses climbing steeply and banking side to side shortly after lifting off from runway 9L. Upon reaching 200 feet, the airplane spun 360 degrees to the left, then impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude. Witnesses also stated that they did not hear any unusual engine sounds prior to the airplane's impact with the ground. A post-accident examination of the airplane and its related components was performed, and no discrepancies were found.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,710 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 250 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OPF at 7:48 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9L, 8,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from OPF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL00LA095.