Amateur-built Thorp T-18 accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina, May 15, 2026
On May 15, 2026 at about 10:53 pm local time, a 1980 amateur-built Thorp T-18, registered N2KP, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Hendersonville, North Carolina (Hendersonville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2026 · about 10:53 pm local time
- Place
- Hendersonville, North Carolina · Hendersonville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Thorp T-18 NO SERIES, built 1980
- Registration
- N2KP · registry record · serial 1042-2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On May 15, 2026, about 1853 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Thorp T-18, N2KP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14?Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that after landing at Hendersonville Airport (0A7), Henderson, North Carolina, he secured the airplane and went inside the fixed base operator, then returned to the airplane to continue his trip to a coastal city within North Carolina. While there, he did not obtain any fuel and stated that he had an estimated 12 to 14 gallons of fuel onboard. Prior to departure he described his preflight inspection as “lackadaisical,” but he did check the pitch trim and ailerons, and thought that the pitch trim was in the correct location for takeoff. He taxied to the runway, applied throttle, and as the airplane accelerated it, “sprung into the air” then pitched up climbing to between 50 and 100 ft. A pilot-rated witness at 0A7 reported seeing the nose of the airplane in a very high attitude, nearly vertical. The pilot further stated that he pushed forward on the control stick and did not touch the pitch trim system, but the nose would, “not come down.” The airplane then descended and impacted trees on the east side of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s pitch trim system revealed the wheel was rotated clockwise in a nose-down direction. The elevator trim jack assembly was inspected and the number of threads out the aft portion was documented in photographs. Using an exemplar airplane and the as-found position of the elevator trim jack assembly position, the anti-servo tab was full deflected in the airplane nose-down direction.
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
- Abrupt maneuver during initial climb defining event
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,398 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Runway 15, 3,075 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from KAVL, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KAVL 152254Z 20007KT 10SM CLR 22/07 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP172 T02220067
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.