Amateur-built T-18 accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 30, 1983
On June 30, 1983 at about 1:15 am local time, a amateur-built T-18, registered N49101, was substantially damaged in an accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Northeast Phila 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
- June 30, 1983 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Northeast Phila · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built T-18
- Registration
- N49101 · no longer on the register · serial #891
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE ACFT BALLOONED AFTER TOUCHDOWN, HE RECOVERED, THEN AFTER THE NEXT TOUCHDONW, IT BALLOONED AGAIN. HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND, BUT WITH THE APPLICATION OF POWER, THE ACFT BANKED APRX 90 DEG TO THE LEFT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT AILERON CONTROL HAD BECOME INEFFECTIVE. HE REDUCED POWER, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED, LEFT WING FIRST, WHILE IN A 20 TO 30 DEG LEFT BANK. THE PLT REPORTED THE SKY WAS CLEAR, VISIBILITY WAS UNLIMITED & THE WIND WAS FROM 090 DEG AT 8 KTS.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,300 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,125 as pilot in command; 2 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 250 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 12, 1983; 10 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PNE Philadelphia PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.