Amateur-built T-18 accident near Granbury, Texas, May 29, 2009
On May 29, 2009 at about 10:22 pm local time, a amateur-built T-18, registered N118TX, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Granbury, Texas (Pecan Plantation airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2009 · about 10:22 pm local time
- Place
- Granbury, Texas · Pecan Plantation · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built T-18
- Registration
- N118TX · registry record · serial 1501
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot lost control of the experimental single-engine airplane during landing, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no preaccident discrepancies.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Crew member
- Certificate: private
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 246.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 30, 2008; 6.0 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 18, 3,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 10:24 pm from GDJ, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 CEN09LA329.