19950321049749A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA18150 · Gail, TX · March 21, 1995

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Date: March 21, 1995 · 09:30 local
Place: Gail, TX
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N999MP
Reported as: Piper PA18150
Fatal injuries: 0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-16) Occupants (2), pilot and passenger (owner), were engaged in predator control at approximately 200' AGL over owner's sheep ranch. Strong thermal or strong wind gust caused one wing to rise abruptly, and the pilot lost directional control. Aircraft impacted the ground in a wings level-nose level attitude, slid 90 feet and overturned. The aircraft was destroyed. No fire. Both occupants suffered serious injuries to the head and back. Neither has any memory of the event except the initial loss of control. There were no witnesses.

As the FAA filed it

(-16) OCCUPANTS (2), PILOT AND PASSENGER (OWNER), WERE ENGAGED IN PREDATOR CONTROL AT APPROXIMATELY 200' AGL OVER OWNER'S SHEEP RANCH. STRONG THERMAL OR STRONG WIND GUST CAUSED ONE WING TO RISE ABRUPTLY, AND THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A WINGS LEVEL-NOSE LEVEL ATTITUDE, SLID 90 FEET AND OVERTURNED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. NO FIRE. BOTH OCCUPANTS SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE HEAD AND BACK. NEITHER HAS ANY MEMORY OF THE EVENT EXCEPT THE INITIAL LOSS OF CONTROL. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES.