Thorp T-18 accident near Richland, Washington, July 11, 1986
On July 11, 1986 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Thorp T-18, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N2056, was destroyed in an accident near Richland, Washington (Richland, Wa airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- July 11, 1986 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Richland, Washington · Richland, Wa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thorp T-18, amateur-built · all T-18s on the register
- Registration
- N2056 · registry record · serial 474
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT TIME OF MISHAP, ACFT PRESUMED TO BE IN RT-HAND APPROACH TO LAND IN 20-KT, 40 DEGREE RT CROSSWIND. WITNESSES FIRST OBSERVED ACFT DESCENDING VERTICALLY, OUT OF CONTROL, IN AN AREA CONSISTENT WITH THE 90 DEGREE APPROACH POSITION. EVIDENCE INDICATES ACFT CONTACTED SOFT, SANDY TERRAIN IN VERTICAL ATTITUDE, THEN FELL OVER TO UPRIGHT FLAT ATTITUDE BEFORE INTENSE POST-IMPACT FIRE INCINERATED MOST OF AIRFRAME. NO EVIDENCE FOUND OF MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION. SCENARIO INDICATIVE OF STEEP TURN TO CORRECT CROSSWIND-INDUCED CLOSE-IN PATTERN.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 650 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 13, 1986; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-GPO (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: S21 Sun River OR at 8:30 pm
- Destination: RLD Richland WA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from PSC, 8 miles away
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 SEA86FA165.