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20260213000859A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper Pacer PA-20 · Three Forks, MT · February 13, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 13, 2026 · 15:41 local
Place
Three Forks, MT
Airport
Three Forks
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1491A
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR26LA105
Reported as
Piper Pacer PA-20
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
239 total139 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
N1491ARegistered now · Piper PA-20S/N 20-840 · Built 1952Airframe modelPiper PA-20Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

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.

On February 13th, at approximately 15:41 local time, the pilot of a Piper pacer PA-20, experienced a ground loop, causing the aircraft to veer off the left side of runway 21 at Three Forks Airport (9S5) in Montana. The pilot was uninjured.

The accident occurred after landing with a crosswind from the west, off the right side of the aircraft, resulting in a loss of control.

The accident caused significant damage to the right wing and right landing gear.

The pilot stated the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) reported a 7-knot crosswind from a westerly direction, which the pilot felt comfortable with. The pilot stated that he "landed on the front two wheels at approximately 65 knots. Shortly after landing, the aircraft encountered a sudden gust of wind, lifting the right wing", which led to a loss of control of the aircraft.

The lack of appropriate crosswind correction caused the aircraft to veer off to the left of the runway. Reviewing footage from ahangar secuirty camera showed the loss of control approximately 200 yards after touchdown.

As the FAA filed it

ON FEBRUARY 13TH, AT APPROXIMATELY 15:41 LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT OF A PIPER PACER PA-20, EXPERIENCED A GROUND LOOP, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 21 AT THREE FORKS AIRPORT (9S5) IN MONTANA. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED.

THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER LANDING WITH A CROSSWIND FROM THE WEST, OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CONTROL.

THE ACCIDENT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING AND RIGHT LANDING GEAR.

THE PILOT STATED THE COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY (CTAF) REPORTED A 7-KNOT CROSSWIND FROM A WESTERLY DIRECTION, WHICH THE PILOT FELT COMFORTABLE WITH. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE "LANDED ON THE FRONT TWO WHEELS AT APPROXIMATELY 65 KNOTS. SHORTLY AFTER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND, LIFTING THE RIGHT WING", WHICH LED TO A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.

THE LACK OF APPROPRIATE CROSSWIND CORRECTION CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. REVIEWING FOOTAGE FROM AHANGAR SECUIRTY CAMERA SHOWED THE LOSS OF CONTROL APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS AFTER TOUCHDOWN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR26LA105Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportThree Forks, MTThe pilot’s failure to maintain directional during the landing roll with a variable wind.Feb 13, 2026 · Substantial damage