Amateur-built Thorp T-18 accident near San Andreas, California, June 27, 2006
On June 27, 2006 at about 4:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Thorp T-18, registered N181RE, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Andreas, California (Calaveras County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudged airspeed and distance during the approach, and his failure to initiate a timely go-around, which resulted in a landing overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2006 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- San Andreas, California · Calaveras County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Thorp T-18
- Registration
- N181RE · registry record · serial 195
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed long and fast, overran the departure end of the runway, and nosed over. On final approach the airplane's speed was high. The pilot extended full flaps to slow down. The airplane overshot the numbers at the approach end of the runway, but the pilot continued his approach and touched down near midfield. Brake application was inadequate to stop the airplane due to its high speed and the runway distance remaining. The airplane overran the departure end of the runway and nosed over. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,122 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 965 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 324 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSCK Stockton CA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: KCPU San Andreas CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,603 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from SCK, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 LAX06CA216.