- Date
- September 28, 2024, 09:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Delta, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4155WPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- FAA report
- 20240928016159A
- Case key
- 195218
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 loss of aircraft control during a bounced landing and go-around, during which the right main landing gear struck a large rock, which damaged it such that it collapsed during the following landing, which caused the airplane to impact the ground resulting in substantial damage to the left wing.
Findings · 1
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 reported that during landing he allowed the airplane to sink faster than intended and it bounced on the main tires. He immediately executed a go-around; however, during the go-around the airplane went off the side of the runway, and struck thick bushes, terrain and rocks before gaining altitude. Just before gaining altitude, the airplane struck a large rock which damaged the right main landing gear. During the subsequent landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane’s nose and right wing struck the ground. The airplane then swung to the right and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4155W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1809063
- Built
- 1993
- Airframe hours
- 880
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Colorado Mesa University
- Registered owner
- Colorado Mesa University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 2023
- Departed
- GJT · Grand Junction, CO
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- AJZ · Blake Fld, runway 03/21, 5,598 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 22, 2023
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,531 total · 18 in this make and model · 1,456 as pilot in command · 195 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- KMTJ, 19 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KMTJ 281553Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/05 A3034 RMK AO2 SLP202 T01940050=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 19, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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.