- Date
- July 1, 2020, 07:55 local (12:55 UTC)
- Place
- Brainerd, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7684DPiper PA18A-150
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20200701008379A
- Case key
- 101519
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to land on a shortened field and his incorrect brake application. Contributing was the flight instructor's lack of oversight.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot had just purchased the airplane and was receiving flight instruction to satisfy insurance requirements. They decided to fly to the instructor's home and land in a field behind his house. They made a low pass and noted that there was a slight ditch with some water in it about halfway down the field. They landed beyond the ditch and the pilot noticed some trees at the end of the field that were getting closer. The pilot believed the tail was still flying when he applied slight braking to slow down. The airplane struck a bump, or bounced, and nosed over, causing substantial damage to both wings, the vertical stabilizer and rudder, the engine, and the propeller. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7684D
- Reported as
- Piper PA18A-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-5906
- Built
- 1957
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BRD · Brainerd, MN
- Destination
- BRD · Brainerd, MN
- Airport
- None · Thiesse, runway 09, 2,500 × 500 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 278 total · 3 in this make and model · 224 as pilot in command · 73 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 19, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 300 in this make and model · 10,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- BRD, 75 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.