Beech G18 accident near Hollister, California, February 14, 2012
On February 14, 2012 at about 9:40 pm local time, a 1960 Beech G18, registered VHNWB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Hollister, California (Hollister Municipal Airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing, loss of directional control, and ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 2012 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Hollister, California · Hollister Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech G18 S, built 1960 · all G18s on the register
- Registration
- VHNWB · no longer on the register · serial BA-548
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was preparing the airplane for a transpacific flight. The day before the accident, he conducted two test flights, and he noted that, during each flight, the oil temperature for the right engine was slightly higher than expected but that it remained within normal operating limitations. On the day of the accident, he decided to perform another test flight and brought a mechanic to assist with identifying any engine issues. The pilot reported that, just after liftoff, the airplane's right wing dropped, which he believed was due to a loss of right engine power. The pilot decided to reduce the left engine's power in an attempt to return the airplane to a wings-level attitude. The airplane then rolled left and pitched nose down. The airplane landed hard in a left-wing-low attitude, and the left main landing gear tire ruptured. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control of the airplane, which subsequently ground looped, departed the runway surface, and came to rest in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing tip and aileron. The mechanic-passenger reported that the pilot did not align the airplane with the runway centerline during the takeoff, and, as a result, when the tailwheel lifted, the airplane veered left. As the pilot attempted to realign the airplane with the runway centerline, the airplane became airborne in a left-wing-high configuration. The airplane lifted off and began to climb and then the nose and left wing dropped. The mechanic reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures to the right engine that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot, in attempting to maintain runway alignment and a wings-level attitude, failed to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 lift during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,431 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 81 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: October 23, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,790 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 18, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHV Hollister CA at 9:35 pm
- Destination: CHV Hollister CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 6,350 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from CVH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.